THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

DAVIS 


GIFT  OF 

M,  G.  DADANT 


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THE  AMERICAN 

BIRD-KEEPER'S   MANUAL; 

OR    DIRECTIONS    FOR    THE    PROPER   MANAGEMENT    OF 

AMERICAN  AND  FOREIGN  SINGING  BIRDS. 

WITH  PARTICULAR  INSTRUCTIONS 

FOR    THE 

BREEDING  OF  CANARY  BIRDS, 

ANDTHE  PROPER   TREATMENT  OF   THEIR  YOUNG. 

TOGETHER     WITH 

SOME  REMARKS  UPON  THE  DISEASES 

TO  WHICH  BIRDS  ARE    LIABLE  —  PREVENTION  AND  REMEDIES. 

WITH  A  MINUTE   DESCRIPTION   OF  THE   GENERAL  CHARACTERISTICS 

OR    MARKINGS    OF   THE    DIFFERENT   SEXES,   SO   AS    TO    BE  ABLE 

TO    DISTINGUISH    THE    MALE    FROM   THE   FEMALE. 

By   JAMES    MANN, 

TAXIDERMIST,  DEALER  IN  BIRDS,  NATURAL  CURIOSITIES,  ETC. 


BOSTON: 
PUBLISHED  BY  THE  AUTHOR,  AT  22  WATER  STREET, 

AND   SOLD   BY 

LITTLE  AND  BROWN,  AND  W.  D.  TICKNOR  AND  CO. 

NEW  YORK:  C.  S.  FRANCIS  AND  CO. 

PORTLAND :  E.  C.  ANDREWS. 


1848. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNI/S 
DAVIS 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1848, 
By  James  Mann, 
in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massa- 
chusetts. 


boston: 
printed  by  freeman  and  bolles. 

DEVONSHIRE   STREET. 


PREFACE, 


From  my  early  days  I  have  been  an  enthusiastic 
admirer  of  Birds,  and  have  always  considered  these 
beautiful  denizens  of  our  woods  and  fields  as  the  most 
interesting  and  delightful  portion  of  animated  nature. 
In  a  beautiful  rural  landscape  it  is  the  Birds  that  give 
life  and  vigor  to  the  scene  ;  and  when  the  passing 
breeze  brings  sweet  sounds  of  harmony  to  the  ear,  it 
comes  from  those  lovely  feathered  choristers  who 
give  animation  and  beauty  to  Nature. 

It  will  be  a  pleasing  reflection  to  me  therefore,  if 
I  can  aid  and  assist  those  that  keep  Birds  in  the  proper 
management  of  them,  and  thereby  increase  the  com- 
fort and  happiness  of  my  feathered  friends,  from  whom 
I  have  derived  so  much  real  pleasure. 

In  laying  this  little  work  before  the  public  I  redeem 
a  pledge  to  many  of  my  friends,  (some  of  them  years 
ago,)  that  I  would  at  some  time  or  other  write  some- 
thing about  the  management  of  Birds  ;  they,  no  doubt, 
supposing  as  I  do,  that  any  person  that  has  spent  as 


IV  PREFACE. 

much  time  among  Birds  as  I  have,  ought  to  know  some- 
thing about  them. 

I  have  endeavored  to  bring  into,  notice  some  of  our 
Birds,  to  which,  as  yet,  little  attention  has  been  paid ; 
which  if  found  in  Europe  would  be  highly  prized,  and 
I  have  described  some  European  Birds  which  have  not 
as  yet  found  their  way  here  ;  nearly  all  the  Birds  de- 
scribed I  have  had  in  my  possession,  and  I  have  laid 
down  some  plain  rules  for  their  proper  treatment.  For 
some  time  past  I  have  been  trying  experiments  on 
purpose  to  ascertain  what  is  the  most  suitable  food  for 
them  in  a  domestic  state,  and  the  result  I  now  lay  before 
you.  If  there  are  any  of  my  readers  who  may  think 
that  my  diet  is  too  simple,  and  that  there  is  not  variety 
enough  in  it  —  that  a  bit  of  sweet  cake  is  good  for 
them,  and  a  bit  of  sugar  cannot  hurt  them,  they  are 
'so  fond  of  it,  — ^  to  those  I  would  say,  that  I  know  by 
experience  that  birds  are  like  children,  and  that  the 
simpler  their  food  is,  if  natural,  the  better  they  will 

thrive. 

J.  M. 


CONTENTS. 


AMERICAN  THRUSHES. 

THE   GRAY   MOCKING   BIRD. 

BLACK-CAPPED    MOCKING    BIRD,  OR    CAT    BIRD       . 
FERRUGINOUS    THRUSH,    OR    BROWN    THRASHER 
THE    RED-BREASTED    THRUSH   OR    ROBIN 
WOOD    OR    SONG    THRUSH        .         '   . 


Page 
9 
14 
16 
18 
20 


EUROPEAN    THRUSHES. 

THE   ENGLISH    BLACK    THRUSH,  OR    BLACK    BIRD 
ENGLISH    THRUSH,    OR   MAVIS 

THE    MISEL-THRUSH 

ROCK    THRUSH  


22 

24 
26 
26 


AMERICAN  FINCHES. 

INDIGO   FINCH 

NONPAREIL,  OR   PAINTED    BUNTING 
AMERICAN    GOLDFINCH,    OR    YELLOW    BIRD 
PURPLE   FINCH,    OR   RED   LINNET 
SONG   FINCH,    OR   SPARROW 
TOWHE   BUNTING,    OR   SWAMP  ROBIN      . 
LESSER   RED   POLL   FINCH,    OR   LINNET 
FOX-COLORED    FINCH,    OR    SPARROW 
SNOW   BUNTING         .  .  .  . 

SNOW    BIRD 

WHITE   CROWNED   BUNTING 
COWPEN   FINCH,    OR   COWBIRD 


28 
29 
30 
32 
34 
35 
36 
38 
39 
40 
41 
42 


VI  CONTENTS. 

EUROPEAN    FINCHES. 

Page 

GOLDFINCH,                  .......  44 

BULLFINCH 40 

CHAFFINCH                     48 

GREENFINCH,    OR   LINNET 51 

GRAY   LINNET 52 

CANARY   FINCH 54 

GROSSBEAKS. 

CARDINAL    GROSSBEAK 62 

ROSE-BREASTED   GROSSBEAK 63 

BLUE    GROSSBEAK 65 

PINE    GROSSBEAK 66 

COMMON   CROSSBILL 68 

« 

BATIMORE    ORIOLE .69 

SCARLET    TANAGER 72 

SUMMER   RED    BIRD 74 

PURPLE   GRAKLE,    OR   CROW    BLACK    BIRD                 .             .  75 

RUSTY    GRAKLE 77 

EUROPEAN  WARBLERS. 

NIGHTINGALE 78 

BLACK   CAP 81 

ROBIN    REDBREAST 83 

AMERICAN  LARKS. 

MEADOW  LARK 86 

SHORR  LARK 88 

BROWN  LARK 89 


CONTENTS. 


Vll 


EUROPEAN   LARKS. 


SKY   LARK 
WOOD  LARK 


Page 
91 
94 


BIRD 


RICE    BIRD,    OR    BOBOLINK 

RED-WINGED    STARLING 

EUROPEAN    STARLING 

GREAT   AMERICAN    SHRIKE,    OR    BUTCHER 

CEDAR   WAXWING 

BLUE    JAY  

THE    MAGPIE  .  . 

EUROPEAN   JAY  .... 

CAROLINA   PARROT 

EUROPEAN    SISKIN   FINCH       . 


SOUTH    AMERICAN,    ASIATIC,    AND 
BIRDS. 


95 
.   99 

102 
.  103 

106 
.  109 

112 
.  114 

115 
.  117 

AFRICAN 


ORIOLES  .... 

ICTERUS    ORIOLE,    OR    TROOPIAL     . 
CACIQUE    ORIOLE 
RED-RUMPED    ORIOLE 
BLACK-HEADED    ORIOLE      . 
CRESTED   DOMINICAN    GROSSBEAK 
MINO    BIRD       .... 
JAVA  FINCH,    OR  SPARROW 
BROAD-SHAFTED   WIDAH    FINCH 
CRIMSON-COLLARED    WIDAH 
RED-BILLED   WIDAH 
AMANDAVA,  OR   AVODAVINE    FINCH 
SENEGAL   FINCH,    OR   SPICE    BIRD 


119 
119 
121 
121 
122 
123 
124 
126 
128 
130 
130 
131 
132 


Vm  CONTENTS. 

DOVES. 

Page 

RING    DOVE  133 

TURTLE    DOVE 135 

PARROTS. 

GRAY,  OR  AFRICAN  PARROT 136 

BRAZILIAN  GREEN  PARROT 138 

WHITE-FRONTED  PARROT 139 

# 

INSTRUCTIONS  FOR  THE  BREEDING  OF  CANA- 
RY BIRDS,  AND  THE  PROPER  TREATMENT 
OF  THE  YOUNG. 

LOCATION    FOR  BREEDING 141 

PAIRING 142 

BREEDING    CAGES,    NESTS,  ETC.              ....  145 

HATCHING,    AND    TREATMENT    OF    THE    YOUNG          .             .  150 

MOULTING   OF   THE   YOUNG 155 

MOULTING   OF   THE   OLD   BIRDS.                  ....  156 

DISEASES,  TO  WHICH  CANARIES,  AND  OTHER 
BIRDS  ARE  LIABLE,  IN  A  DOMESTIC  STATE. 

INFLAMMATION    OF   THE    B0V7ELS         ....  158 

CONSTIPATION,   OR   COSTIVENESS — EPILEPSY            .  .      159 

ASTHMA  —  DIARRHCEA  —  DISEASES   OF    THE  FEET          .  160 

MOULTING  —  LOSS   OF   VOICE            .         •   .            .            .  .       162 

MITES  163 

INSTRUCTIONS  FOR  THE  REARING  OF  AME- 
RICAN BIRDS  FROM  THE  NEST      .        .        164 

WHAT  THOSE   WHO   KEEP  BIRDS    OUGHT 
NOT  TO    DO 166 


BIRD-KEEPER'S  MANUAL. 


AMERICAN    THRUSHES. 


THE  GRAY  MOCKING  BIRD. 

This  far-famed  bird  is  unquestionably  the 
prince  and  leader  of  the  feathered  choir.  And 
for  his  power  of  imitation,  compass  of  voice,  and 
brilliancy  of  execution,  has  no  compeer  among 
all  his  tribe.  Many  years  ago  our  transatlan- 
tic friends  endeavored  to  set  up  their  Night- 
ingale in  competition  with  the  American  Mock- 
ing Bird.  Of  the  song  of  the  Nightingale,  from 
personal  observation,  we  can  give  no  opinion  ]^ 
but  it  was  then  acknowledged  that  the  song  of 
the  Mocking  Bird  was  equal,  if  not  superior  to 

*  See  Nightingale. 


10 


the  notes  of  the  Nightingale,  in  their  utmost  com- 
pass. Now,  as  it  is  known  to  all  who  ever  heard 
both,  that  the  imitations  of  this  bird  are  true  to 
life,  and  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  the  originals, 
the  great  superiority  of  the  Mocking  Bird,  as  a 
songster,  must  appear  evident  to  all ;  and,  indeed, 
it  is  no  longer  disputed,  for  the  best  European 
judges  have  long  ago  yielded  the  palm  of  victory 
to  the  American  songster ;  and  it  is  not  only  in 
his  own  native  forests  that  he  reigns  triumphant 
as  a  vocalist,  for  we  have  seen  him  in  a  room, 
surrounded  with  the  best  American  and  foreign 
songsters,  not  only  defy  all  competition,  but  by 
some  sudden  gush  of  melody  actually  awe  them 
all  into  silence.  And  we  have  no  hesitation  in 
saying,  that  the  American  Mocking  Bird  stands 
alone  in  the  world,  unrivalled  as  a  songster. 
This  bird  loses  little  if  any  of  its  musical  powers, 
in  the  cage.  Birds,  when  kept  for  some  years, 
I  think  rather  improve  in  strength  and  fulness 
of  tone.  Some  birds  will  sing  in  the  night,  dur- 
ing summer  and  autumn. 

We  will  now  proceed  to  inform  our  readers, 
from  our  own  experience  and  the  best  sources, 
how  to  keep  in  good  health,  and  make  happy, 
this  dehghtful  bird.  It  is  by  no  means  so  difficult 
to  keep  this  bird  as  is  generally  imagined.     Feed 


AMERICAN    THRUSHES.  11 

your  bird  regularly;  keep  your  cage  clean  and 
dry ;  do  not  let  his  victuals  get  stale  or  sour.  If 
these  simple  rules  are  attended  to,  the  Mocking 
Bird  will  live,  on  an  average,  as  long  as  any  bird 
that  is  kept  in  a  cage. 

There  are  various  diets  adopted  for  this  bird. 
At  the  South,  the  general  food  is  egg  and  potatoe 
mixed ;  here  at  the  North  it  is  Indian  meal  and 
milk,  and  I  knew  a  gentleman  in  Maine  who 
kept  a  very  fine  bird  for  three  years ;  he  fed  it 
upon  eggs  and  beef  alone.  It  died  moulting, 
occasioned,  as  he  supposed,  by  a  fall  from  its 
perch  when  in  that  state,  owing  to  a  sudden  jar 
given  to  the  cage. 

I  have  tried  all  those  different  modes  of  feed- 
ing, and  I  am  inclined  to  believe,  that  the  meal 
and  milk  is  the  best,  at  least  for  this  section  of 
the  country.  In  summer  I  scald  the  milk,  which 
prevents  it  from  souring  so  soon ;  and  even  then 
it  is  well  to  give  your  bird  a  little  fresh  at  noon 
in  very  warm  weather.  I  give  them  likewise 
about  half  of  the  yolk  of  a  hard  boiled  egg  twice 
a  week,  and  as  often  a  bit  of  beef,  (the  lean);  it 
should  be  laid  on  a  table  and  scraped  with  a 
knife,  which  frees  the  beef  from  the  muscles ;  it 
is  then  like  a  paste,  and  they  can  eat  without  the 
danger  of  suflfocation,  by  swallowing  too  large  a 


12  bird-keeper's  manual. 

piece;  about  the  bulk  of  a  hazel  nut  is  enough 
for  the  day. 

They  are  very  fond  of  what  is  commonly 
called  meal  worms,  which  are  found  in  pigeon- 
houses,  and  grain  stores.  When  I  have  them,  I 
give  a  bird  two  or  three  a  day,  but  you  cannot 
procure  them  at  all  times  even  if  you  breed 
them,*  and  the  beef  is  a  good  substitute ;  and 
when  you  keep  a  bird,  it  is  well  to  accustom  him 
to  eat  what  you  can  procure  at  all  seasons  of  the 
year.  Berries  in  summer,  and  small  black  cur- 
rants in  winter,  and  a  sweet  ripe  apple,  cut  in 
two,  and  one  half  put  into  the  cage  so  as  they 
can  eat  out  of  the  heart  of  it,  is  highly  beneficial 
to  them. 

About  the  end  of  July  or  the  beginning  of  Au- 

*  To  breed  meal  worms,  take  a  jar  or  small  pail  that  will  contain 
four  or  five  quarts ;  put  in  it  about  two  quarts  of  manure  from  a 
pigeon-house,  a  handful  of  meal  worms,  and  about  a  pint  of  Indian 
meal.  Put  on  the  top  of  this  some  woollen  rags,  and  tie  a  piece  of 
cloth  over  the  top  ;  then  put  it  in  a  dry  and  warm  place.  Then  you 
must  have  some  worms  to  begin  with  ;  (but  by  the  following  method, 
taken  from  an  English  work,  which  I  have  not  yet  tried,  you  can  do 
without :)  In  case  you  cannot  procure  meal  worms,  and  they  are  some- 
limes  very  scarce,  buy,  or  beg,  from  a  vessel  returned  from  a  long 
voyage,  some  stale  ship  biscuit,  soak  it  in  cold  water,  squeeze  it 
dry,  and  put  it  in  a  covered  vegetable  dish  in  a  closet,  or  other  warm 
place.  In  a  few  weeks  you  will  obtain  an  ample  supply  of  meal 
worms. 


AMERICAN     THRUSHES. 


Id 


gust,  this  bird  begins  to  moult  or  shed  his  old 
and  worn  out  feathers,  to  be  replaced  by  new. 
(Of  this  general  law  of  nature  among  the  feather- 
ed tribe,  I  will  speak  more  fully  hereafter.)  The 
sooner  this  takes  place  the  better;  for  when  it  is 
retarded  until  the  weather  gets  cool,  it  is  apt  to 
be  protracted ;  and  sometimes  the  new  feathers 
come  out  twisted,  and  not  smooth,  which  is  very 
annoying,  as  it  spoils  the  appearance  of  the  bird, 
if  not  his  song.  If  there  is  no  appearance  of  the 
bird  beginning  to  shed  his  feathers  about  this 
time,  give  him  plenty  of  ripe  berries.  I  have 
found  by  experience,  that  this  food  hastens  the 
operation,  and  it  is  highly  necessary,  both  for  the 
health  and  beauty  of  the  bird,  that  it  should 
moult  early. 

Give  your  bird  water  in  a  shoal  vessel,  every 
morning,  to  wash.  This  bird  is  not  so  fond  of 
bathing  as  some  other  birds.  When  I  have  had 
a  bird  that  did  not  use  the  bath,  I  have  put  near 
him  a  bird  that  washed  regularly,  every  morn- 
ing, and  it  has  had  the  desired  effect  of  inducing 
him  to  do  likewise.  Keep  plenty  of  gravel  in 
the  bottom  of  your  cage. 

As  female  birds  generally  have  no  song,  and 
in  procuring  singing  birds  it  is  highly  important 
to  know  how   to  distinguish  the  male  from  the 


14  bird-keeper's  manual. 

female,  I  shall  in  this  work  endeavor  to  give  a 
minute  description  of  the  general  characteristics 
or  markings  which  distinguish  the  sexes. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes. — The  white  on 
the  wing  of  a  full  grown  male  spreads  over  the 
whole  of  the  primaries,  or  longest  wing  feathers, 
as  well  as  the  coverts  or  feathers  that  cover  the 
shoulders ;  it  reaches  also  well  down  on  the  wing 
below  the  coverts.  The  two  outside  feathers  of 
the  tail  are  white,  and  the  others,  except  the  two 
middle  ones,  are  tipt  with  white. 

On  the  female  the  white  is  only  on  seven  of  the 
primaries,  and  is  less  pure,  and  does  not  descend 
so  far  down,  and  comes  farther  down  on  the 
broad  than  the  narrow  side  of  the  feather. 

Location. — Found  on  the  Mississippi  and 
Ohio.     In  the  Southern  States  —  Resident. 


BLACK-CAPPED  MOCKING  BIRD,  OR  CAT  BIRD. 

This  bird  is  familiarly  known  to  every  boy  in 
New  England,  from  its  very  peculiar  call  while 
partly  concealed  in  its  favorite  bramble,  or  black- 
berry bush,  which  exactly  resembles  the  cry  of  a 


AMERICAN    THRUSHES.  16 

young  kitten  in  distress.  He  is  not  at  all  suspi- 
cious or  afraid  of  you ;  and  on  your  nearer  ap- 
proach will  hasten  to  occupy  a  more  conspicuous 
situation  in  the  bush,  and  jerking  up  his  tail,  sa- 
lute you  with  his  favorite  call.  He  is  truly  a 
mocking  bird,  endeavoring  to  imitate  every  bird 
he  hears.  Industrious  and  persevering,  he  will 
repeat  his  imitations  over  and  over  again. 
But  unfortunately  he  is  deficient  in  clearness  and 
strength  of  voice,  and  therefore  fails  in  many  of 
his  imitations.  I  have  often  listened  to  him  with 
great  pleasure,  while  probably  perched  over  my 
head  on  some  sapling,  trying  hard  to  imitate 
every  bird  he  heard,  and  seeming  at  times  to 
get  quite  excited  when  he  failed  in  doing  so  to 
his  satisfaction.  He  is,  however,  no  contemptible 
songster,  and  has  some  natural  notes,  which  he 
sings  very  sweetly  in  the  cage. 

Food. — I  have  kept  them  in  good  health  on 
meal  and  milk,  a  little  bruised  hempseed,  and  a 
bit  of  beef,  occasionally  scraped,  as  for  the  Mock- 
ing bird. 

Characteristics- OF  the  Sexes.  —  The  male 
may  be  distinguished  from  the  female,  by  the 
red  under  the  tail  being  brighter  on  the  male. 
Otherwise  they  are  very  much  alike. 


16 


Location.  —  Found     throughout    the    United 
States.    In  the  Southern  —  Resident. 


FERRUGINOUS  THRUSH,  OR  BROWN  THRASHER. 

This  is  a  handsome,  lively,  and  active  bird, 
hnd  ^in  length  of  tail  and  shape  bears  a  strong 
resemblance  to  the  Gray  Mocking  Bird.  In  the 
Southern  States  he  is  called  the  French  Mocking 
Bird;  but  his  notes  are  not  imitative,  as  this 
name  would  seem  to  imply,  but  are,  I  believe, 
solely  his  own.  They  are  clear,  and  in  some 
birds=^  loud,  and  full  of  variety.  — They  are  the 
largest  of  our  Thrushes,  and  their  notes  bear 
some  resemblance  to  the  English  Thrush  or 
Mavis.  They  are,  upon  the  whole,  rather  dis- 
tinguished songsters,  and  I  am  glad  to  see  that 
their  value  is  beginning  to  be  appreciated,  and 
there  are  a  good  many  more  of  them  kept  in 
cages  now  than  were  formerly. 

This  bird  shows  a  remarkable  instance  of  what 
would  certainly  appear  to  be  the  possession  of 
reasoning  powers,  or  faculties.     It  is  very  fond 

*  There  is  a  difference  in  the  singing  of  birds  of  the  same  species  ; 
some  are  much  better  singers  than  others,  even  in  their  wild  state. 
This  difference  may  depend  upon  the  age  of  the  bird ;  the  old  birds 
may  be  the  best  singers. 


AMERICAN    THRUSHES.  If 

of  hard  crumbs  of  bread;  if  very  small  it  will 
swallow  them  as  they  are;  if  larger  it  will  pick 
them  up  and  carry  them  to  the  water  dish,  and 
drop  them  in  the  water,  wait  until  they  are 
moistened,  then  take  them  out,  and,  if  they  are 
very  large,  pick  them  to  pieces;  the  others  they 
will  swallow,  as  there  is  now  no  danger  of  their 
hurting  their  gullet,  or  sticking  in  their  pas- 
sage down.  This  1  have  often  been  an  eye-wit- 
ness of,  and  so  may  any  person  who  has  one  of 
those  birds  in  his  possession.  Is  this  reason,  or 
is  it  instinct?  At  all  events  it  is  exactly  what 
we  would  do,  if  placed  under  the  same  circum- 
stances. 

Food.  —  Meal  and  milk,  and  a  bit  of  scraped 
beef,  two  or  three  times  a  week ;  berries  in  the 
summer,  and  black  currants  in  the  winter.  They 
should  have  plenty  of  gravel  in  the  bottom  of  the 
cage,  or  in  a  box,  as  they  are  fond  of  dusting 
themselves  in  it,  like  the  Sky  Lark.  This  bird 
suffers  severely  in  the  moulting;  they  should 
then  have  more  nourishing  food,  which  all  birds 
require  when  in  that  state.  Give  them  a  few 
meal  worms,  if  you  have  them,  if  not  a  few 
ground  worms.  Change  their  meal  to  bread  and 
milk  twice  a  week,  and  give  them  berries  and  . 
ripe  apple. 


u 


Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male  of 
this  bird  has  the  whole  of  the  upper  parts,  and 
the  tail,  which  is  long  and  rounded  at  the  end, 
of  a  brownish  red.  There  are  two  bars  of  white 
on  the  wing,  and  the  lower  parts  are  of  a  yellow- 
ish white,  with  long  pointed  spots  of  black.  The 
female  has  the  white  on  its  wing  much  narrow- 
er, and  has  fewer  spots  on  the  breast ;  otherwise 
they  are  very  much  alike. 

Location. — Found  throughout  the  United 
States.   In  the  Southern  and  Western  —  Resident. 


THE  RED-BREASTED  THRUSH  OR  ROBIN. 

This  is  a  hardy,  vigorous,  and  well  known 
bird,  handsome  in  shape,  beautiful  in  his  plumage, 
and  graceful  in  his  attitudes;  and,  although  he 
is  a  heavy  bird  of  his  size,  there  is  none  pos- 
sessed of  more  agility,  and  who  will  leap  lighter 
on  their  perch  than  the  Robin.  It  is  delightful 
to  hear  him  salute  the  opening  morn  with  his 
fine  mellow  note ;  he  will  also  imitate  other 
birds,  and  a  good  singing  Robin  is  a  valuable 
cage  bird,  for  it  is  not  every  bird  that  will  sing  in 
a  cage,  at  least  the  first  and  second  year.  I  have 
at  present  a  beautiful  male  bird  who  was  a  year 


AMERICAN   THRUSHES.  19 

old  last  spring;  I  have  had  him  all  summer,  and 
never  have  heard  him  sing  a  note ;  I  intend  to 
keep  him  until  next  spring,  to  see  what  he  will 
do  then;  I  have  had  others  who  have  sung  very 
well  the  first  year.  The  young  are  pretty  hard 
to  raise,  being  subject  to  the  cramp  in  their  legs 
and  other  parts  of  their  bodies.  I  have  found  it 
very  beneficial  to  them  to  put  two  or  three  inches 
of  dry  saw-dust  in  the  bottom  of  the  cage;  they 
seem  to  enjoy  it  very  much,  and  when  put  in  the 
sun  would  lay  down  in  it  on  their  side,  and 
stretch  themselves  out  at  full  length.  I  was  very 
successful  in  raising  them  last  spring  by  this 
treatment.  Put  plenty  of  gravel  in  the  bottom 
of  the  cage  of  the  old  bird,  and,  when  it  can  be 
procured,  a  piece  of  turf,  of  which  they  are  very 
fond.     They  are,  when  grown,  a  hardy  bird. 

Food.  —  Meal  and  milk,  a  bit  of  beef,  and 
plenty  of  water  to  wash  with  is  all  they  require. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male  is 
much  redder  on  the  breast  than  the  female,  the 
gray  and  white  is  also  brighter,  the  bill  is  tinged 
with  black,  but  ultimately  it  becomes  pure  yellow. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  the  United 
States,  and  in  them  all  nearly  Resident. 


8©  ]pmP-KEEPEIl's   MANUAI,. 


WOOD  OR  SONG  THRUSH. 

This  is  a  shy  and  solitary  bird,  but  a  charming 
songster,  frequenting  the  most  lonely  and  se- 
cluded portions  of  our  forests.  They  are  never 
seen  but  in  pairs  or  singly,  and  oftener  heard 
than  seen.  The  male  is  generally  discovered  on 
the  top  of  some  high  tree  in  the  morning,  or 
towards  the  evening,  where  he  pours  forth  his 
few  but  very  sweet  notes,  making  the  woods 
echo  with  his  melody.  I  have  not  yet  had  an 
opportunity  of  testing  the  singing  properties  of  this 
bird  in  a  cage,  as  I  have  not  been  able  to  procure 
one  alive,  or  a  nest,  although  I  have  offered  a 
high  premium  for  either.  The  first  I  ever  saw, 
and  which  I  wished  to  obtain,  as  a  specimen  for 
preservation,  gave  me  a  pursuit  of  more  than 
two  hours  through  the  woods  before  I  obtained 
it.  It  resembles  the  European  Song  Thrush 
more  than  any  other  of  our  Thrushes,  but  it  is 
much  smaller  in  size. 

Food.  —  We  have  never  had  the  pleasure  of 
feeding  this  bird  in  a  cage,  but  we  hope  soon  to 


AMERICAN    THRUSHES.  21 

have  ]^  there  is  no  doubt  but  it  can  be  fed  like 
other  Thrushes. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  In  the  whole 
genus  of  Thrushes,  the  male  and  female  bear  a 
strong  resemblance  one  to  another ;  in  this  species 
it  is  so  close  that  we  are  unable  to  give  any  dis- 
tinguishing marks  either  in  size  or  plumage. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  the  United 
States.  Many  of  them  winter  in  the  Southern 
States.   Not  abundant. 

There  are  two  or  three  more  Thrushes  found 
within  the  territory  of  the  United  States,  but 
they  have  little  or  no  song,  with  the  exception 
of  the  Water  Thrush  (of  Wilson),  which  is  said 
to  sing  sweetly;  some  of  them  winter  in  the 
Southern  States.  Here  they  are  very  rare.  They 
breed  in  the  Fur  countries,  and  are  smaller  in 
size  than  the  Song  Thrush. 

*  We  hope  that  some  of  our  young  friends  in  the  country,  who 
see  this,  will  endeavor  to  find  a  nest  of  this  bird ;  directions  for 
raising  the  young  of  which  and  other  birds,  they  will  find  in  this 
volume. 


EUROPEAN  THRUSHES. 


THE   ENGLISH    BLACK    THRUSH,    OR   BLACK 
BIRD. 

When  clothed  in  his  fine,  jet  black  and  glossy 
plumage,  with  his  bright  yellow  bill,  this  is  really 
a  beautiful  bird.  He  is  familiar  and  docile ;  he 
can  be  taught  to  whistle  a  tune  distinctly  and 
clearly,  and  there  is  probably  no  bird  possessed 
of  such  melodious  and  soft  flute-like  notes  as  the 
English  Black  Bird.  I  have  heard  one  in  a 
cage,  early  in  the  morning,  in  a  large  city,  whist- 
ling "  Over  the  water  to  Charlie,"  with  great 
truth  and  harmony,  and  so  loud  as  to  be  heard 
distinctly  half  a  mile  off*.  If  you  wish  to  teach 
your  bird  a  tune,  cover  over  the  cage  with  a  cloth 
about  half  an  hour  before  sunset;  then  go  near 
the  cage,  and  whistle  the  tune  you  wish  him  to 
learn.  Go  over  it  slowly,  from  beginning  to  end, 
then  repeat,  say  a  dozen  of  times,  or  more.  If  he 
is  a  young  bird  you  may  hear  him  commence  it 
in  a  few  days.  Be  careful  to  whistle  the  tune, 
and  nothing  else,  and  if  you  whistle  to  him 
through  the  day,  let  it  be  the  same  tune. 


EUROPEAN   THRUSHES.  2% 

Food.  —  My  readers  will  perceive  that  I  recom- 
mend meal  and  milk  as  a  staple  diet  for  all 
Thrushes,  and  what  is  called  soft-billed  birds; 
that  is,  all  birds  that  require  soft  food.  It  is  be- 
cause experience  has  taught  me,  that  it  is  prefer- 
able to  any  other  food  which  can  be  given. 
Bread  and  milk,  and  crackers  and  milk,  is  the 
common  food  of  those  birds  in  England,  but  it  is 
too  purgative  for  birds,  as  a  constant  diet.  Last 
summer  I  had  a  Black  Bird  brought  to  me,  which 
had  been  four  or  five  weeks  imported,  and  had 
been  fed  on  bread  and  milk.  It  really  looked 
miserable;  he  was  dirty,  and  his  plumage  was 
matted  and  wet;  the  cage  also  was  wet,  although 
the  person  who  brought  it  had  taken  pretty 
good  care  of  the  bird,  and  regularly  cleaned  the 
cage.  I  immediately  commenced  feeding  him 
upon  meal  and  milk.  The  first  day  he  ate  very 
sparingly  of  it,  and  threw  a  considerable  part  of 
it  out  of  the  cage ;  the  next  day  he  ate  a  little 
more,  and  threw  none  of  it  out;  the  third  day 
he  ate  heartily  of  it,  and  in  three  or  four  days 
he  looked  better,  and  was  probably  in  better 
health  than  ever  he  had  been.  I  had  him 
about  three  months  in  my  possession,  and  wheii 
he  left  it  there  never  was  a  prettier  Black  Bird 
in  a  cage,  and  he  was  in  full  song.     His  meal 


2r 


BIRD-KEEPER'S   MANUAL. 


and  milk,  and  about  twice  a  week  a  little  beef, 
prepared  as  for  the  Mocking  Bird,  was  all  he 
had.  I  use  the  yellow,  or  northern  corn  meal,  in 
preference  to  the  white,  or  southern.  Meal  and 
milk,  a  bit  of  beef,  scraped,  once  or  twice  a 
week,  berries  in  summer,  and  a  bit  of  ripe  ap- 
ple and  a  few  black  currants,  occasionally,  in 
winter,  are  sufficient. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes. — The  male  of 
this  bird  is  easily  distinguished  from  the  female. 
The  male  is  all  black,  the  bill  a  bright  yellow. 
The  female  upper  parts  are  amber  brown,  throat 
a  dirty  white,  lower  parts  yellowish  brown,  bill 
brown,  tinged  with  the  fine  yellow  of  the  male. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  Britain,  and 
Resident. 


ENGLISH  THRUSH,  OR  MAVIS. 

This  is  a  most  excellent  songster,  and  comes 
nearer,  in  the  clearness  and  melody  of  its  notes, 
to  the  great  American  musician,  the  Mocking 
Bird,  than  perhaps  any  other  bird  known.  —  They 
will  also  imitate  other  birds.  I  have  one,  at  pre- 
sent, which,  there  is  no  doubt,  has  profited  in 


EUROPEAN     THRUSHES,  2jK 

that  respect,  by  being  near  a  Mocking  Bird,  a 
very  superior  singer.  But  their  own  natural 
notes  are  delightful,  resembling  the  Ferruginous 
Thrush,  but  much  finer,  and  fuller  in  tone.  In 
shape  and  color  it  resembles  the  Wood  Thrush, 
as  has  been  observed,  but  it  is  larger  in  size ;  it 
has  also  the  same  attachment  to  an  elevated  po- 
sition when  singing ;  and  in  the  North  of  Scot- 
land, where  high  trees  are  rather  scarce,  he  will 
get  on  the  pinnacle  of  a  high  rock,  to  pour  forth 
his  song  and  cheer  his  mate,  who  is  sitting  far 
below,  making  the  surrounding  hills  echo  with 
his  melody. 

Food.  —  Keep  plenty  of  gravel  in  the  bottom 
of  your  cage,  and  diet  the  same  as  for  the 
Black  Bird,  with  the  addition  of,  about  twice  a 
week,  half  of  a  hard  boiled  egg,  of  which  they  are 
very  fond,  and  which  I  think  is  beneficial  to  them. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  There  is  as 
much  resemblance  in  the  male  and  female  of  this 
bird,  as  in  the  Wood  Thrush.  The  only  differ- 
ence is  in  the  dulness  of  the  orange  color,  and 
the  spots  on  the  breast. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  Britain,  and 
Resident. 

2 


26'  bird-keeper's  manual. 


THE  MISSEL-THRUSH. 


This  is  the  largest  of  its  tribe,  but  it  is  far  in- 
ferior to  the  former  in  song.  Its  notes  are  few, 
but  musical,  and  pretty  loud.  In  Britain,  some 
years  ago,  it  was  rather  a  rare  bird,  but  it  is  now 
more  abundant.  It  is  distinguished  from  other 
Thrushes  by  its  size,  and  by  the  pure  white  on 
the  under  part  of  the  wing. 

Food.  —  Diet  the  same  as  the  former. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  There  is 
little  difference  between  the  male  and  female,  in 
size,  or  markings.  The  male  is  rather  a  brighter 
yellow  on  the  lower  part  of  the  body. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  Europe,  Resi- 
dent. 


ROCK  THRUSH. 

This  is  a  very  rare  bird,  of  whose  good  quali- 
ties I  am  incapable  of  judging  by  observation, 
having  never  seen  one ;  nor  do  I  believe  it  has 
ever  been  brought  to  this  country;  but,  as  it  is  a 


AMERICAN    THRUSHES.  27 

very  good  songster,  and  it  may  find  its  way  here, 
we  will  tell  what  we  know  about  it.  It  is  said' 
to  be  a  very  musical  Thrush,  and  can  be  taught 
to  whistle  tunes,  and  even  to  articulate  words, 
like  the  English  Starling.  It  is  found  in  the 
North  of  Scotland,  where  it  builds  its  nest  on 
inaccessible  rocks  ;  also,  on  the  Alps  and  Pyren- 
ees. It  is  highly  prized,  and  an  individual  will 
bring  in  London  as  high  as  forty  dollars. 

Food.  —  In  feeding,  it  would  seem  to  require  a 
good  deal  of  care  and  attention,  as  it  feeds  more 
on  insects,  in  its  wild  state,  than  any  of  our 
Thrushes,  it  is  recommended  to  be  kept  the  same 
as  the  Nightingale. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  It  is  smaller 
in  size  than  the  English  Thrush.  Upper  parts 
grayish  blue,  lower  parts  orange,  and  spotted  like 
other  Thrushes.  The  female  not  so  bright  in 
color  as  the  male. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  Europe,  but 
very  rare,  Resident. 


M 


BIRD-KEEPER  S   MANUAL. 


AMERICAN  FINCHES. 


INDIGO   FINCH. 

This  little  Bird  has  two  very  good  qualifica- 
tions ;  it  is  beautiful  and  musical.  It  is  a  pretty 
little  Bird,  and  a  very  sweet  singer.  It  has  also 
another  characteristic  peculiar  to  itself.  It  does 
hot  seem  to  be  the  least  annoyed  when  exposed  to 
the  rays  of  a  summer  sun.  During  the  heat  of  the 
day,  in  summer,  most  of  our  birds  retire  to  the 
shade,  and  stop  singing.  But  1  have  seen  this 
little  bird  sit  for  an  hour  or  two,  in  an  exposed 
situation,  in  the  meridian  heat  of  a  July  sun, 
piping  its  sweet  little  notes  without  intermission. 
It  is  a  very  clean  and  docile  bird  in  a  cage,  and 
has  still  another  recommendation,  that  the  longer 
you  keep  it  the  prettier  it  grows.  I  had  one  in 
my  possession  which  had  been  kept  for  four  years 
in  a  cage,  and  it  was  the  most  beautiful  Indigo 
Bird  I  ever  saw  in  my  life;  it  was  exactly  like 
a  piece  of  bright  polished  indigo,  and  was  also  a 
superior  songster. 

Food.  —  A  mixture  of  hemp  and  Canary  seed, 


AMERICAN   FINCHES.  ^g 

water  to  drink  and  wash,  and  gravel  in  the  boU 
torn  of  thecage,  is  all  they  require. 

Characteristics  OF  THE  Sexes. — The  male  of 
this  bird  is  easily  distinguished  from  the  female ; 
the  male  being  all  blue,  the  female  a  grayish 
brown  on  the  back,  the  lower  parts  clay  color. 

Location.  —  Found,  in  summer,  throughout  the 
United  States ;  in  the  autumn,  they  migrate  south. 


NONPAREIL,  OR  PAINTED  BUNTING. 

This  beautiful  bird  is  a  little  larger  in  size,  and 
somewhat  inferior  in  song  to  the  Indigo  Finch, 
but  what  it  lacks  in  song  it  makes  up  in  the 
richness  and  variety  of  its  plumage.  The  male 
is  elegantly  marked  with  vermilion,  blue,  yellow 
and  green.  They  are  very  docile,  and  both  male 
and  female,  when  in  full  feather,  are  lovely  cage 
birds.  The  male  has  a  sweet  note,  it  bears  some 
resemblance  to  the  Indigo,  but  is  weaker  and 
more  concise.  The  planters  on  the  Mississippi 
breed  them  in  their  aviaries,  and  I  think  they 
might  be  raised  here  ;  but  they  require  more  care 
in  winter  than  any  of  our  Finches,  as  they  are 


30  bird-keeper's  manual. 

very  susceptible  of  cold.  They  have  been  crossed 
with  the  Canary  here,  and  make  a  beautiful 
variety. 

Food.  —  I  have  kept  them  in  good  health  and 
fine  plumage  on  a  mixture  of  Canary  and  one 
third  hemp  seed,  and  a  bit  of  ripe  apple  occa- 
sionally, of  which  they  are  very  fond. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male  of 
this  bird  is  easily  distinguished,  dressed  in  his 
gaudy  ^colors ;  the  female  is  of  an  olive  green 
above,  lower  parts  of  a  dusky  straw  color,  cheeks 
and  neck  tinged  with  green. 

Location.  —  Found,  in  the  summer,  in  Louis- 
iana, the  Carolinas,  and  on  the  Mississippi;  in 
the  autumn,  they  migrate  south. 


AMERICAN  GOLDFINCH,  OR  YELLOW  BIRD. 

This  little  bird  bears  a  strong  resemblance  to 
his  European  prototype,  not  quite  so  richly  dress- 
ed, and  somewhat  inferior  in  song;  nevertheless, 
he  is  a  sprightly  and  lively  bird  ;  he  is  docile  and 
familiar,  and  a  sweet  little  songster,  and  if  kept 


AMERICAN   FINCHES.  31' 

some  time  beside  Canary  birds  will  pick  up  their 
notes.  His  own  natural  notes  bear  a  resem- 
blance to  the  European  Goldfinch,  but  they  are 
inferior  in  tone,  feebler,  and  more  concise ;  in 
his  habits  he  is  the  same,  and  is  fond  of  the  same 
food.  They  are  fond  of  the  seeds  of  the  thistle. 
In  districts  where  the  thistle  abounds  in  Europe, 
so  does  the  Goldfinch,  and  where  that  plant  is 
found  in  the  United  States,  there  you  will  find 
the  American  Goldfinch.  If  his  transatlantic 
brother  has  a  richer  dress,  he  has  the  advantage 
of  him,  by  having  two  —  a  summer  dress  and  a 
winter  one.  On  the  approach  of  winter,  the  male 
puts  oflf  his  beautiful  lemon  yellow  color,  and 
black  wings  and  tail,  and  dons  the  sober  olive- 
brown  of  the  female,  and  in  spring  resumes  it 
again.  They  are  easily  reconciled  to  confine- 
ment, and  will  sing  a  short  time  after  being 
caught. 

Food.  —  They  are  very  fond  of  hemp  seed.  I 
feed  them  one  part  hemp  and  part  Canary  seed ; 
a  blade  of  lettuce  or  a  bit  of  ripe  apple  is  bene- 
ficial. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male  in 
summer,  is  easily  distinguished  from  the  female ; 


S3  bird-keeper's  manual. 

the  body  of  the  male  is  bright  yellow,  wings  and 
tail  black ;  the  female  is  all  over  olive  brown. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  the  United 
States  in  summer ;  late  in  the  autumn,  they  mi- 
grate south. 


PURPLE  FINCH,  OR  RED  LINNET. 

The  birds  of  the  United  States  may  be  divided 
into  two  general  classes,  summer  birds  and  win- 
ter birds.  The  first  class  visit  us  in  the  spring, 
from  the  regions  of  the  South,  for  the  purpose  of 
incubation ;  that  duty  being  performed,  the  young 
fledged,  and  the  old  birds  recruited,  and  their  old 
feathers  replaced  by  new,  they  leave  us  for  more 
congenial  climes  to  spend  their  winter,  and  re- 
turn again  in  the  spring.  The  second  class  hav- 
ing performed  the  same  duty  in  the  Northern  re- 
gions, visit  us  to  escape  the  rigors  of  the  winter, 
again  to  return  north  in  the  spring.  This  bird's 
migrations  do  not  extend  so  far  north  as  some 
of  our  visiters,  who  have  been  found  as  far  north 
as  has  yet  been  explored.  The  Purple  Finch  is 
a  strong  and  vigorous  bird,  and  a  very  good  song- 
ster. They  have  a  very  fine  warbling  note,  con- 
tinued to  a  considerable  length,  not  unhke  a  Ca- 


AMERICAN   FINCHES.  83 

nary  bird,  but  not  so  loud ;  they  have  also  a  kind 
of  a  call  note,  louder  and  very  pleasant.  They 
have  been  crossed  with  the  Canary,  the  male 
Finch  with  the  hen  Canary,  and  the  produce  is 
a  very  fine  vigorous  and  loud-singing  mule  bird. 

Food.  —  They  are  a  hardy  bird,  and  will  thrive 
well  on  hemp  and  Canary,  half  of  each,  and 
plenty  of  gravel  in  the  bottom  of  the  cage ;  this 
should  never  be  omitted,  as  it  is  very  necessary 
for  all  birds,  especially  those  who  live  upon  seeds, 
for  the  proper  digestion  of  their  food. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  There  is  some 
difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  distinguishing 
markings  of  the  male  and  female  of  this  bird; 
there  are  some  gray  and  others  red,  and  it  is  sup- 
posed by  some,  that  there  are  two  different  spe- 
cies, and  by  others,  that  the  gray  ones  are  all 
females.  The  first  is  not  correct;  they  are  the 
same  species.  And  as  to  the  second,  I  have 
proved  by  dissection,  that  some  of  the  gray  ones 
are  males.  The  truth,  I  think  is,  that  the  gray 
ones,  the  males  at  least,  are  birds  of  the  first  year, 
as  most  of  our  birds  are  three,  and  some  of  them 
four  years,  before  they  arrive  at  their  full  plum- 
age.    The  old  females  may  be  gray,  but  at  all 


34  bird-keeper's  manual. 

events,  the  old  males  are  a  dark  blood  red  on  the 
head,  breast,  and  neck,  which  turns  after  the 
first  moultmg  in  the  cage  to  a  dark  golden  yel- 
low. They  are  much  wilder  than  some  others 
of  our  winter  visitants,  the  cause  may  be  their 
breeding  in  more  populous  districts,  as  they  do 
not  go  so  far  north  as  others,  (as  has  been  ob- 
served,) but  they  can  be  tamed  and  thrive  well, 
and  are  contented  in  a  domestic  state. 

Location. —  Found  in  the  Middle  and  North- 
ern States  in  the  winter  and  spring ;  in  summer, 
to  the  Northward  of  this. 


SONG  FINCH,  OR  SPARROW. 

If  not  the  best  musical  performer  that  visits 
us  from  the  South,  there  is  none  that  meets  a 
heartier  welcome  in  New  England  than  the  Song 
Sparrow.  While  winter  yet  lingers,  and  seems 
loth  to  depart,  and  while  yet  our  fields  are  mot- 
tled with  patches  of  snow,  and  spots  of  bare 
earth,  and  Boreas,  with  his  surly  blast,  still 
sweeps  over  our  land,  perched  on  an  isolated 
shrub,  or  on  the  still  almost  snow-covered  fence, 
the  Song  Sparrow  pours  forth  his  pleasing  and 


AMERICAN    FINCHES.  33 

welcome  notes,  which  proclaims  that  the  reign 
of  stern  winter  is  about  over,  and  that  genial 
spring  is  about  to  return  to  gladden  the  earth. 
It  is  the  first  songster  in  the  spring,  and  its  notes 
are  pleasing  to  the  ear;  and  it  is  the  earliest,  and 
by  far  the  sweetest  songster  of  all  our  Sparrows. 

Food. — It  thrives  well  in  a  cage,  fed  on  hemp 
and  Canary  seed,  and  soon  becomes  very  tame. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  It  is  very 
difficult  to  distinguish  the  male  from  the  female 
of  this  bird.  The  male  is  rather  brighter  in 
color. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  the  United 
States.     Winters  in  the  Southern  States. 


TOWHE  BUNTING,  OR  SWAMP  ROBIN. 

This  is  a  beautiful,  and  very  familiar  bird.  He 
will  allow  you  to  walk  close  up  to  him,  while 
engaged  in  his  favorite  occupation  of  scratching 
among  the  leaves  for  seeds,  and  the  larvae  of 
insects.  From  which  the  male  will  mount  to 
the  top  of  some  small  tree,  or  high  bush,  where 


98  bird-keeper's  manual. 

he  will  pour  out  his  simple  but  musical  notes,  for 
an  hour  at  a  time.  While  thus  engaged,  with 
his  mottled  black  and  white  plumage,  and  his 
splendid  long  tail,  he  has  a  very  elegant  appear- 
ance. 

Food.  —  He  can  be  kept,  and  will  thrive  well 
in  a  cage:  it  should  be  a  middling  large  one. 
Fed  on  one-third  hemp  and  two-thirds  Canary- 
seed,  with,  twice  or  thrice  a  week,  a  small  bit  of 
beef,  cut  in  very  small  pieces,  or  prepared,  which 
is  better,  the  same  as  for  the  Mocking  Bird. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male  of 
this  bird  is  easily  distinguished  from  the  female; 
she  being  reddish  brown  where  the  male  is  black, 
and  the  white*  is  not  so  pure. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  the  United 
States  in  summer.  In  the  autumn  migrates  south. 


LESSER  RED  POLL  FINCH,  OR  LINNET. 

This  is  another  of  our  winter  visitants,  who 
extends  his  migrations  from  the  north  over  both 
continents.     Almost  all  of  the  birds  who  visit  us 


AMERICAN    FINCHES.  EC 

in  the  winter,  are  tame  and  unsuspicious,  allow- 
ing a  person  to  walk  close  up  to  them,  when 
feeding,  without  appearing  to  be  interrupted. 
The  cause  may  be,  their  being  reared  in  those 
remote  northern  regions,  far  from  the  abodes  of 
man,  they  have  not  that  distrust  or  fear  of  him, 
which  they  have  in  populous  countries.  This 
little  bird  is  peculiarly  tame  and  docile,  and  it 
will  begin  eating  immediately  after  being  caught, 
if  put  in  a  cage  with  food.  Their  note  is  very 
pleasing,  and  they  may  be  taught  to  draw  their 
seed  and  water,  like  the  Goldfinch.  After  the 
first  moulting  the  red  on  the  head  and  breast 
become  a  golden-yellow  like  the  Purple  Finch. 

Food.  —  This  is  a  hardy  little  bird,  and  may 
be  easily  kept  on  a  mixture  of  hemp  and  Canary 
seed. 

Characteristics  OF  the  Sexes.  —  The  male  is 
easily  distinguished  from  the  female.  The  female 
is  destitute  of  red  on  the  breast. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  Europe  and 
America,  during  the  winter.  In  summer,  in  the 
Northern  Regions. 


3g 


rOX-COLORED  FINCH,   OR   SPARROW. 

This  is  a  plump  and  pretty  bird,  and  is  another 
of  our  winter  visitants  from  the  North.  It  is 
tame  hke  the  others ;  is  a  large  bird  of  its  species, 
and  being  of  a  beautiful  fqx-color,  it  looks  well 
in  a  cage.  Its  call  is  musical  and  loud,  and  it 
has  some  very  fine  low  warbling  notes. 

Food.  —  It  is  a  hardy  and  strong  bird,  and  will 
thrive  well  on  hemp  and  Canary  seed.  If  it  gets 
too  heavy,  and  does  not  take  exercise  enough, 
withdraw  the  hemp,  and  feed  on  Canary  alone. 
Give  it  plenty  of  gravel,  and  water  to  wash. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes. — The  male  and 
female  are  very  much  alike,  differing  only  in  the 
male  being  brighter  in  color,  especially  about  the 
shoulders. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  the  Northern 
and  Middle,  and,  some  seasons,  the  Southern 
States,  during  the  fall  and  winter.  Early  in  the 
spring  leaves  for  the  North. 


AMERICAN     FINCHES.  39 


SNOW  BUNTING. 


This  is  a  bird  who  breeds  in  vast  numbers  in 
the  soUtary  regions  of  the  North  ;  and  on  the 
approach  of  winter  migrates  southward,  on  both 
Continents.  They  are  found  in  the  North  of 
Europe,  and  in  the  Northern  and  Middle  States, 
and  some  seasons  as  far  south  as  Maryland,  in 
the  winter.  They  generally  come  with  our  first 
snow,  and  may  be  seen  then  in  the  vicinity  of 
Boston,  and  attract  attention  from  their  curious 
appearance,  being  mottled  black,  white,  and 
brown.  They  have  some  very  sweet  and  musi- 
cal notes. 

Food.  —  They  will  live  in  a  cage,  but  must  be 
kept  cool  in  warm  weather.  They  may  be  fed 
on  hemp  and  Canary,  with  a  portion  of  rape- 
seed.  They  soon  become  tame,  and  reconciled  to 
confinement. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male  is 
larger  than  the  female,  and  there  is  no  other  way 
to  distinguish  them,  the  colors  are  so  various, 
and  they  are  so  much  alike,  that  is,  generally 
speaking,  in  the  colors ;  but  there  are  hardly  two 
of  them  which  are  exactly  alike  in  the  markings. 


40  bird-keeper's   manual. 

Location. — Found  throughout  the  extreme 
northern  regions  in  summer ;  in  winter,  found  in 
the  North  of  Europe,  and  North  America. 


SNOW  BIRD. 

This  Uttle  bird,  Hke  the  former,  visits  us  in 
great  numbers  from  the  north,  on  the  approach 
of  winter.  They  migrate  extensively  all  over  the 
country,  from  Maine  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 
Their  summer  migrations  north  are  also  very 
extensive.  They  arrive  at  Hudson's  Bay  about 
the  first  of  June,  in  great  numbers,  and,  after 
resting  there  a  few  days,  they  proceed  farther 
north  to  breed.  They  have  a  very  sweet,  low 
note,  and  thrive  very  well  in  a  cage. 

Food.  —  They  had  better  be  fed  on  Canary 
seed  alone.  As  they  are  inclined  to  get  too  fat 
in  the  cage,  they  may  have  also  a  portion  of 
rape  seed. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes. — The  male  has 
the  upper  parts  a  deep  slate  color,  lower  parts 
pure  white.  The  female  diifers  in  not  having 
the  colors  so  bright  and  puie. 


AMERICAN   FINCHES.  *  ll 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  the  United 
States,  in  winter.  Summer  residence,  in  the 
Northern  Regions. 


WHITE  CROWNED  BUNTING. 

This  is  a  very  beautifully  marked  species,  and 
in  Massachusetts  rather  rare,  as  it  breeds  to  the 
northward  of  us.  I  have  never  seen  but  one  in 
a  cage  ;  it  was  an  elegant  bird,  and  sang  delight- 
fully. The  author  of  the  Arctic  Zoology  says  of 
it,  in  Hudson's  Bay,  where  it  is  common,  *Mt  is 
silent  in  its  flight,  but  when  it  perches  it  sings 
melodiously.''  It  is  found,  also,  in  the  State  of 
Maine,  where,  I  believe,  it  is  more  common. 

Food.  —  Canary,  and  about  one-third  hemp 
seed;  plenty  of  gravel,  and  water  to  wash. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  This  bird  is 
longer  than  the  Purple  Finch.  The  male  has  the 
crown  of  the  head  pure  white,  with  a  line  of 
black  from  each  nostril;  below  that  another  line 
of  white.  Chin  white,  upper  parts  pale,  ash 
streaked  on  the  back,  with  brown  and  white; 
lower  parts,  below  the  breast,  white.  The  female 
is  smaller  in  size;  the  white  on  the  head  is  less 
3 


48  bird-keeper's  manual. 

pure;  the  black  is  brownish,  and  less  of  it,  and 
the  ash  color  on  the  breast  is  brownish. 

Location.  —  Found  from  Massachusetts,  (where 
a  few  may  breed,)  northward.  Migrates  south  in 
winter. 


COWPEN  FINCH,  OR  COWBTRD.* 

This  bird,  in  its  habits,  differs  from  all  the 
"birds  which  are  known  to  naturalists  on  the  con- 
tinent of  America ;  and  it  is  rather  a  remarkable 
coincidence  that  there  is  one,  on  the  continent  of 
Europe,  which  has  the  same  habits,  and  only  one. 
The  Cowpen  Finch,  or  Cowbird  of  America  and 
the  common  Cuckoo  of  Europe,  build  no  nests  of 
their  own,  but  lay  their  eggs  in  the  nests  of  other 
birds,  and  adopt  other  birds  as  foster  parents  for 
their  young.  There  are  several  birds'  nests  which 
are  appropriated  by  the  Cowbird  as  receptacles 
for  its  young,  the  owners  of  which  are  generally 
jsmaller  birds  than  the  Cowbird,  the  egg  of  which 
(there  is  only  one  deposited  in  a  nest)  is  hatched 
two  or  three  days  sooner;  the  young  Cowbird 
then  manages  to  exclude  all  the  eggs  of  the  legit- 
imate owner,   and  takes   sole  possession  of  the 

*  It  is  so  named  from  its'habit  of  following  the  cows  in  pastures. 


AMERICAN   FINCHES.  43 

premises,  which,  when  it  is  about  a  week  old,  it 
fills  completely  up.*  I  have  seen  the  young  Cow- 
pen  Finch  in  the  nest  of  the  American  Gold- 
finch, the  White-eyed  Vireo,  and  Maryland  Yellow 
Throat ;  and  there  are  three  or  four  more  whose 
nests  it  selects  for  the  purpose  of  incubation. 

This  cannot  by  any  means  be  termed  a 
songster;  but  if  not  famous  for  song  he  is,  and 
will  be,  celebrated  in  the  history  of  American 
birds,  as  being  in  his  habits  the  only  exception 
(as  far  as  is  known)  to  the  common  laws  of  na- 
ture which  govern  his  tribe,  on  this  continent. 

Although  the  note  of  this  bird  is  not  at  all 
attractive,  being  a  kind  of  chattering,  they  are  a 
very  pretty  bird,  and  they  keep  themselves  neat 
and  clean  in  a  cage.  Some  years  ago  I  saw  one 
that  an  elderly  lady  had  kept  for  three  years  in  a 
cage,  as  she  said,  for  the  history  that  was  attach- 
ed to  it.  It  was  a  male,  jet  black,  with  purple 
and  violet  reflections,  and  was  in  fine  plumage ; 
it  was  quite  a  favorite  with  the  old  lady. 

*  It  is  supposed  by  some  that  on  the  young  Cowbird  being 
hatched,  the  proprietors  of  the  nest  remove  the  eggs.  It  is  said, 
that  the  Cuckoo  (the  eggs  there  being  all  hatched  at  the  same  lime) 
hustles  the  other  young  out  of  the  nest,  or  gets  them  on  its  back  and 
jerks  them  out.  In  whatever  way  it  is  brought  about,  it  is  certain 
that  the  other  young  birds  with  the  Cuckoo,  and  the  eggs  with  the 
Cowbird  disappear,  and  the  foundlings  become  the  sole  occupants  of 
the  premises. 


44 


Food.  —  They  are  hardy  and  easily  kept  on 
the  same  food  as  a  Canary  bird. 

ChapwACteristics  of  the  sexes.  —  The  male  is 
black  with  purple  or  violet,  and  sometimes  green 
reflections  ;  the  head  and  neck  are  generally  of  a 
deep  drab,  but  in  the  bird  mentioned  above,  the 
head  and  neck  were  jet  black  also.  The  female 
is  a  fine  deep  brown,  hghter  below. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  the  United 
States  ;  also  to  the  northward.  Migratory.  Num- 
bers winter  in  the  Southern  States. 


EUROPEAN    FINCHES. 


GOLDFINCH. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the  Eu- 
ropean cage  birds.  Besides  the  beauties  of  its 
plumage,  it  is  a  neat  and  clean  little  cage  bird, 
and  a  sweet  songster.  It  also  possesses  other 
good  qualities  ;  it  is  docile,  and  apt  to  be  taught, 
obedient  to  the  call  of  its  master  or  mistress,  and 


EUROPEAN   FINCHES.  45 

capable  of  forming  strong  attachments  to  them. 
There  is  a  resemblance  between  it  and  the  Ameri- 
can Goldfinch  in  its  manners  and  habits,  and  its 
partiality  for  the  same  food,  as  has  been  ob- 
served. It  may  be  taught  (the  American  also) 
to  draw  their  seed  and  water,  and  they  are  easier 
taught  this  than  any  other  birds  I  know  of;  they 
use  their  feet  so  nimbly,  in  holding  on  to  the  chain 
or  cord  to  which  their  little  buckets  are  suspend- 
ed. The  European  is  the  aptest  scholar ;  it  is 
also  superior  in  the  beauty  of  the  plumage,  and 
likewise  in  its  song,  which,  in  some  old  birds, 
is  very  fine.  They  will  imitate  the  Canary's 
notes,  and  also  pair  with  them,  the  male  Gold- 
finch with  the  yellow  Canary  hen  ;  the  produce 
is  sometimes  marked  with  the  fine  colors  of  the 
Goldfinch,  and  they  make,  I  think,  the  most 
beautiful  and  best  singing  mules  that  can  be  bred 
from  the  Canary.  The  American  will  also  pair 
with  a  Canary,  but  I  do  not  think  there  is  any 
improvement  in  the  produce,  either  in  the  color 
of  the  plumage  or  the  song. 

Food.  —  I  have  kept  these  birds  in  good  health 
and  spirits,  (drawing  their  seed  and  water,  and 
singing  alternately,)  on  about  half  Canary  and 
half  hemp  seed,  with  lettuce,  cabbage,  or  ripe 


46 


apple  freely ;    plenty  of  green  stuflf  is  benefi- 
cial to  them. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male  and 
female  of  this  bird  are  easily  distinguished  —  that 
is,  year  old  birds  ;  a  young  bird  has  some  resem- 
blance to  the  female.  The  female  has  the  crim- 
son around  the  bill  much  smaller  and  fainter,  the 
black  stripe  round  the  head  (or  bridal,  as  it  is 
called,)  is  brown  in  the  female,  and  her  body  is 
brown  where  the  male  is  black. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  Europe — Resi- 
dent. 


BULLFINCH. 

This  beautiful  bird  is  universally  admired  both 
for  its  wonderful  and  musical  powers,  and  its 
mild  and  inoffensive  manners.  It  can  be  taught 
to  whistle  airs  and  melodies  distinctly  and  accu- 
rately, with  a  soft  and  flute-like  tone.  It  is  also 
very  tractable  and  obedient,  and  can  be  easily 
learned  to  come  at  the  call  of  its  master  or  mis- 
tress, and  sit  upon  their  finger  and  whistle  a 
popular  air  or  waltz.    Its  natural  notes  are  also 


EtTROPEAN  FINCHES.  431 

soft,  sweet,  and  musical;  it  is,  therefore,  a  gen- 
eral favorite,  especially  with  the  ladies.  Those 
that  are  taught  are  called  Piping  Bullfinches,  and 
are  imported  from  England  and  Germany ;  they 
are  commonly  taught  with  a  bird  organ  ;  but  the 
voice,  and  whistling  or  a  flageolet,  are  recommend- 
ed as  superior.  The  Bullfinch  will  pair  with  a 
Canary,  a  tame  hen  Bullfinch  with  a  spirited 
male  Canary.  The  produce  is  a  soft  and  very 
musical  singing  mule. 

Food.  —  I  have  kept  these  birds  in  good  health 
upon  Canary  and  rape  seed,  and  occasionally  a 
little  hemp  seed ;  but  the  last  must  be  given  to 
them  very  sparingly,  as  these  birds  take  but 
little  exercise  in  a  cage,  and  like  some  old  gen- 
tlemen, they  are  naturally  inclined  to  get  cor* 
pulent.  Some  feed  them  on  rape  alone,  but  the 
Canary  makes  a  little  more  variety  for  them,  and 
even  a  very  little  hempseed  at  intervals  I  do  not 
think  is  hurtful.  It  is  said,  that  this  bird's  plum- 
age may  be  altogether  changed  to  black  by  being 
fed  upon  hempseed  alone ;  this  I  rather  doubt. 
I  once  saw  a  Sky  Lark,  which  hung  in  its  cage 
from  the  roof  of  a  large  apothecary's  store ;  it  was 
a  favorite  bird,  and  a  fine  singer ;  it  had  grown 
quite  black.    As  the  person  that  owned  the  bird 


48  bird-keeper's  manual. 

had  kept  it  a  good  many  years,  I  gave  as  a  cause 
old  age ;  but  the  old  gentleman  said  it  was  his 
opinion,  .that  the  change  of  color  was  brought 
on  by  the  bird's  inhaling  the  effluvia  of  the  drugs. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  upper 
parts  and  tail  of  the  male  of  this  bird  (wiih  the 
exception  of  the  shoulders,  which  are  a  bluish 
gray)  are  a  rich  glossy  black ;  the  cheeks,  throat, 
and  under  parts  a  delicate  red ;  the  rump,  vent, 
and  under  tail  coverts,  pure  white.  The  female 
has  the  upper  parts  more  of  a  brownish  tint ;  the 
red  on  the  breast  is  also  brownish ;  it  has  not  the 
beautiful  clearness  of  the  male  in  any  of  the 
colors. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  Europe — Resi- 
dent. 


CHAFFINCH. 

This  is  a  beautiful,  lively,  and  active  bird,  and 
has  some  very  sprightly,  warbling  notes.  It  is 
very  highly  prized  in  Germany,  so  much  so,  that 
it  would  seem,  from  the  way  they  speak  of  it, 
that  there  is  a  Chaffinch  mania  prevailing  in  that 
country,  somewhat  like  the  Tulip  mania  which 


EUROPEAN    FINCHES.  49 

raged  in  Holland  some  years  ago.^  The  following 
is  an  extract  from  a  German  work,  on  the  history 
of  this  bird,  and  my  readers  may  judge  for  them- 
selves:—  "Ruhl  is  a  large  manufacturing  village 
inThuringia,  the  inhabitants  of  which,  mostly  cut- 
lers, have  such  a  passion  for  the  Chaffinches,  that 
some  have  gone  ninety  miles  from  home,  to  take, 
with  bird-lime,  one  of  these  birds,  distinguished 
for  its  song,  and  have  given  one  of  their  cows  for 
a  fine  songster ;  from  which  has  arisen  the  com- 
mon expression.  —  such  a  Chaffinch  is  worth  a  cow. 
A  common  workman  will  give  a  louis  d'or,  (six- 
teen shiUings  sterling,)  for  a  Chaffinch  he  ad- 
mires, and  willingly  live  on  bread  and  water  to 
gain  the  money.  An  amateur  cannot  hear  one 
that  sings  in  a  superior  style  the  double  trill  of 
the  Hartz,  without  being  in  an  ecstasy.  I  have 
heard  them  say  that  one  which  knew  this  melody 
perfectly,  certainly  can  converse,  from  its  pro- 
nouncing the  syllables  so  distinctly.''  There  must 
certainly  be  a  good  deal  of  imagination  in  all 
this,  or  the  organs  of  hearing  in  Germans  must 
be  superior  to  other  men,  as  the  translator  of  this 
work,  who  is  a  Idver  and  keeper  of  birds  him- 
self, says,  in  a  note :  "  The  notes  of  the  wild 
Chaffinches  in  this  country  (England)  are  finer 

*  Bechstein's  Cage  Birds. 


60  bird-keeper's  manual. 

than  any  cage  ones  I  ever  heard  in  Germany.'' 
And  again,  the  same  gentleman  says,  ^^  In  En- 
gland they  are  very  little  prized,  and  but  seldom 
kept." 

I  have  had  several  of  these  birds,  and,  although 
their  note  was  very  pleasant,  they  could  by  no 
means  be  ranked  as  superior  songsters.  Some 
time  ago  I  had  one ;  whether  it  came  from  Thu- 
ringia  or  Yorkshire,  I  cannot  tell,  as  it  was  caught 
in  the  vicinity  of  Boston,  having  escaped  from 
some  cage,  no  doubt.  The  young  man  who 
caught  it,  brought  it  to  me  to  find  out  what  kind 
of  a  yankee  bird  he  had  got,  as  he  had  never 
seen  one  like  it  before.  I  put  it  in  a  cage  with 
some  Canary  birds,  and  it  agreed  very  well  with 
them.  It  was  in  fine  plumage,  very  lively  and 
active,  and  a  male  bird.  It  eat  the  same  as  the 
Canaries,  was  in  excellent  health  all  the  time  I 
had  it,  nearly  three  months,  and  it  would  some- 
times sit  and  warble  its  notes  for  an  hour  at  a 
time. 

The  male  of  this  bird  will  pair  with  a  hen 
Canary. 

FooD.^-^Feed  it  the  same  as  Canaries. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male  of 


EUROPEAN    FINCHES.  61 

this  bird  has  the  forehead  black,  the  crown,  nape 
and  sides  of  the  neck  grayish  blue;  the  back 
deep  brown,  the  breast  reddish  brown.  The 
female  is  smaller,  the  head,  neck  and  back,  a 
grayish  brown,  the  breast  a  grayish  red. 

Location. — Found  throughout  Europe — Resi- 
dent. 


GREEN   FINCH,  OR  LINNET. 

This  is  a  strong,  hardy,  and  robust  bird,  and  a 
pretty  fair  musical  performer.  He  is  remarkably 
docile,  very  easily  tamed,  and  can  be  so  com- 
pletely domesticated,  as  to  be  bred  like  the  Ca- 
nary, in  a  cage  or  aviary.  The  male  will  also 
imitate  the  notes  of  other  birds;  and  although 
rather  difficult  to  teach,  he  is  possessed  of  a  very 
retentive  memory,  and  will  not  forget  what  he 
once  learns. 

This  bird  will  pair  freely  with  the  Canary. 
Either  the  male  or  female  Finch,  with  the  female 
or  male  Canary,  and  will  produce  a  strong  sing- 
ing mule  bird. 

Food.  —  This  bird  is  easily  kept.  Food  the 
same  as  Canary  birds. 


9$  bird-keeper's  manual. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  Upper  parts 

of  the    male   a  yellowish   green;    lower    parts 

'  shading  almost  to  white.     The  female  is  smaller, 

the  upper  parts  brownish,  lower  parts  whitish. 

Breast  ash  color,  with  faint  yellow  spots. 

Location. — Found  throughout  Europe — Resi- 
dent. 


GRAY  LINNET. 

The  song  of  this  bird  consists  of  several  lively 
strains,  which  succeed  each  other  with  great 
harmony,  in  a  sweet  and  soft  tone.  It  can  also 
be  taught  tunes  by  whistUng  them  to  it,  like  the 
Bullfinch,  and  will  imitate  the  notes  of  other 
birds ;  and  is  much  prized  in  its  native  country, 
as  a  cage  bird.  As  is  the  case  with  a  good  many 
of  our  American  birds,  the  Gray  Linnet  does  not 
arrive  at  maturity,  either  in  its  song  or  plumage, 
mitil  it  is  at  least  three  years  old,  which  has  led 
some  to  suppose  that  the  same  birds  in  different 
stages  of  plumage  were  distinct  species. 

In  my  youth  I  kept  a  great  many  of  these 
birds;  and  from  observations  made  since  on 
them,  I  am  satisfied  that  the  Gray  Linnet,  the 


EUROPEAN    FINCHES.  58 

Rose  Linnet,  or  Greater  Redpole,  the  Mountain 
Linnet,  or  Twite,  are  the  selfsame  bird,  and  not 
distinct  species.  There  are,  first,  the  year  old 
bird,  or  more,  the  Gray  Linnet,  (gray.)  Second, 
the  Rose  Linnet,  or  greater  Redpole,  (top  of  the 
head  and  breast  red,)  two  years  old,  or  more. 
Third,  the  Mountain  Linnet,  or  Twite,  (the  red 
changed  to  yellow,)  three  years  old  or  more. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  reasons  which 
have  led  me  to  the  above  conclusion,  although  I 
am  aware  that  it  conflicts  with  some  high  au- 
thorities on  this  subject.  The  eggs  of  the  three 
are  alike ;  the  nests,  hkewise,  if  the  same  ma- 
terial can  be  procured  by  the  birds.  The  loca- 
tion is,  in  general,  the  same.  The  nest  of  the 
Gray  Linnet,  and  the  Mountain  Linnet,  have  both 
been  found  in  a  furze  bush.  The  song  is  the 
same,  only  the  Mountain,  or  Yellow  Linnet  is 
superior.  It  is  the  oldest  bird,  therefore  the  best 
songster. 

Food.  —  Feed  them  on  a  mixture  of  Canary 
and  rape  seed,  half  of  each,  with  occasioDalJy  a 
little  hemp.  They  take  but  little  exercise  in 
the  cage,  therefore  must  be  fed  sparingly.  Plenty 
of  gravel,  and  water  to  wash,  and  lettuce,  or  cab- 
bage freely. 


64  bird-keeper's  manual. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male  has 
the  primaries,  or  longest  feathers  of  the  wings, 
white  on  the  widest  side  of  the  feather,  also  white 
feathers  in  the  tail.  The  female  is  smaller  ia 
size,  and  the  wing-feathers  are  only  slightly  tip- 
ped with  white ;  the  same  on  the  tail. 

Location. — Found  throughout  Europe — Resi- 
dent. 


CANARY  FINCH. 

This  well-known  bird  is  among  Finches  what 
the  Gray  Mocking  Bird  is  among  the  Thrushes, 
the  great  musical  leader  of  the  tribe.  We  may 
go  farther,  and  say  that  there  is  no  bird  of  its 
size  known  to  naturalists  which  can  compare 
with  the  Canary  Finch  in  the  energy,  fulness  of 
tone,  and  harmony  of  its  notes.  And  it  is  cer- 
tainly complimentary  to  the  discernment  of  our 
race  in  this  instance,  that  the  merits  of  this  bird 
seem  to  have  been  duly  appreciated,  for  there  is 
hardly  a  spot  on  this  wide  earth,  where  civiliza- 
tion has  entered,  but  you  will  find  domesticated 
this  sweet  little  vocalist.  Originally,  a  native  of 
the  Canary  Islands  (as  its  name  imports)  it  was 


EUROPEAN   FINCHES.  68^ 

introduced  into  Europe  about  the  beginning  of 
the  sixteenth  century;  it  is  now  almost  found 
everywhere  In  the  splendid  mansion  and  in 
the  humble  cottage,  its  enlivening  and  dehghtful 
melody  is  heard  alike  in  both,  and  its  little  wants 
are  administered  too  by  the  hard,  horny  hands 
of  the  artisan  in  his  cot,  and  the  soft  and  delicate 
tapering  fingers  of  the  fair  one,  in  her  bower.  It 
is  loved  and  cherished  in  the  palace  and  in  the 
hovel ;  and  in  the  Azores  and  some  places  on  the 
Mediterranean,  the  breeding  and  rearing  of  this 
little  bird  constitute  the  principal  support  of 
many  of  the  poor  inhabitants. 

Although  the  climate  of  New  England  is  not 
the  most  favorable  in  the  world  for  this  bird,  and 
it  is  affected  by  the  changes  of  it  in  a  domestic 
state,  in  common  with  other  animals,  there  is 
a  very  erroneous  opinion  as  to  the  degree  of 
warmth  necessary  for  it  in  the  winter.  Our  rooms 
are  kept  in  general  too  warm  for  the  health  of  the 
inmates,  and  the  Canary  hangs  above,  where  the 
temperature  is  several  degrees  higher.  Indeed,  I 
have  been  told  by  some,  when  too  late  to  be 
remedied,  that  they  actually  covered  over  their 
cage  with  a  thick  cloth,  and  hung  it  over  the 
stove  as  night  approached.  The  consequence 
is,  that  the  poor  bird  not  only  suffers,   but  is 


66 


weakened  and  debilitated,  a  premature  moulting 
ensues,  and  at  last  it  falls  a  victim. 

I  have  kept  Canary  Birds  in  some  parts  of  this 
country,  where  the  winters  are  much  colder  than 
they  are  here.  One  winter  I  kept  thirty  or  forty 
birds  in  a  room,  where  there  was  no  fire  after 
dark.  The  thermometer  there,  would  be  some- 
times below  zero  for  a  week,  and  the  water  would 
be  frozen  solid  every  morning,  yet  the  whole 
winter  I  never  lost  a  bird,  and  they  sang  sweetly 
every  day.  Last  spring  1  had  about  thirty 
birds  sent  me  to  dispose  of,  that  were  kept  in  an 
attic  all  winter  without  having  any  fire  near 
them;  -they  were  healthy  and  strong  and  sang 
well,  and  a  person  who  had  six  of  the  females 
to  breed,  assured  me  that  they  all  had  eggs  about 
a  week  after  he  got  them.  If  you  keep  your  birds 
in  a  room  where  there  is  a  stove,  place  them  in 
the  coolest  part  of  it,  and  give  them  fresh  air 
every  fine  day;  for  humanity  prompts  me  to 
say,  (however  much  at  variance  v/ith  my  own 
interests,)  that  of  the  Canary  Birds  which  I  pre- 
serve during  the  winter,  full  three-quarters  of 
them  die  from  being  kept  too  warm  and  too  near 
the  stove. 

The  Canary  bird  seems  to  be  peculiarly  adapted 
for  a  cage  bird.     They  will  sing  the  whole  of  the 


EUROPEAN   FINCHES.       •  57 

winter,  during  the  most  dreary  part  of  the  year, 
and  when  other  birds  are  in  general  silent,  they 
will  solace  and  delight  us  with  their  animated 
and  cheerful  song.  They  are  social  and  familiar, 
and  capable  of  forming  strong  attachments  to 
those  who  feed  them ;  they  will  know  the  voice 
of  their  master  or  mistress ;  can  be  taught  to  sing 
sitting  upon  the  finger,  and  come  and  go  at  com- 
mand. The  following  account  of  some  of  those 
birds,  which  were  exhibited  in  London  some 
years  ago,  will  show  that  they  are  capable  of 
doing  more  wonderful  things  than  has  yet  been 
mentioned,  with  which,  (as  1  shall  speak  largely 
in  a  future  part  of  this  work,  of  the  breeding, 
treatment  of  the  young,  diseases,  (fcc.  of  this 
delightful  bird,)  I  shall  at  present  conclude. 

In  1820,  a  Frenchman  exhibited  four-and- 
twenty  Canary  birds  in  London,  many  of  which, 
he  said,  were  from  eighteen  to  twenty-five  years 
of  age.  Some  of  these  balanced  themselves  with 
their  head  downwards  and  tail  in  the  air;  one  of 
them,  taking  a  slender  stick  in  his  claws,  passed 
its  head  between  its  legs,  and  suffered  itself  to  be 
turned  round  as  if  in  the  act  of  being  roasted; 
another  balanced  itself,  and  was  slung  backwards 
and  forwards,  as  on  a  kind  of  slack  rope;  a  third 
was  dressed  in  military  uniform,  having  a  cap  on 
4 


68  BIRD-KEEPER'S  MANUAL. 

its  head,  and  wearing  a  sword  and  cartridge 
pouch,  and  holding  a  fire-lock  in  one  claw.  After 
some  time  sitting  upright,  this  bird,  at  the  word 
of  command,  freed  itself  from  its  dress  and  flew 
away  to  the  cage.  A  fourth  suffered  itself  to  be 
shot  at,  and  falling  down  as  if  dead,  to  be  put 
into  a  little  wheelbarrow  and  wheeled  by  one  of 
his  comrades.  Several  qf  the  birds  were  placed 
upon  a  little  fire-work,  and  continued  there  quietly 
and  without  alarm,  until  it  was  discharged. 

Food.  —  It  is  highly  important  to  know  the  most 
proper  food  for  this  bird,  as  it  is  so  completely  do- 
mesticated, that  it  will  eat  almost  everything  that 
is  given  to  it.  Some  pamper  their  bird  and  destroy 
the  tone  of  its  stomach  by  feeding  it  with  sugar, 
sweet  cake,  (fcc,  and  others  withhold  from  them 
their  natural  food.  I  once  knew  a  confectioner 
who  killed  a  fine  pair  of  birds  by  feeding  them 
upon  cake.  He  had  all  kinds  of  cake  that  were 
ever  baked,  stuck  in  pieces  all  round  the  cage.  I 
told  him  he  would  kill  his  birds.  He  answered, 
*'  O  no,  I  love  to  see  them  eating  it."  They  had 
a  short  life  and  a  merry  one ;  they  were  both 
dead  in  about  a  month.  I  also  was  once  shown 
a  pair  of  Canary  Birds  that  were  hanging  out  at 
a  window  ;  they  were  owned  by  an  old  maiden 


EUROPEAN   FINCHES.  59 

lady.  The  person  who  pointed  them  out  to  me 
was  a  near  neighbor  of  her's,  and  kept  birds  him- 
self, and  he  assured  me  that  she  fed  her  poor 
birds  upon  bread  and  potatoes,  and  gave  as  a 
reason  to  him,  that  seed  cost  too  much.  Some 
give  their  birds  no  hemp  seed,  and  others  give 
them  too  much,  because  they  are  fond  of  it. 
Now,  as  all  birds  are  fond  of  hemp  seed,  but 
some  may  have  too  much  given-  them,  and  get 
too  fat  on  it,  is  that  a  good  and  sufficiently  sound 
reason  that  all  birds  should  be  kept  poor  and 
lean  and  get  none  ?  I  have  been  led  to  these  re- 
marks, as  there  are  some  who  think  they  have 
knowledge  in  this  matter,  and  who  condemn  the 
use  of  hemp  seed  altogether.  Now  I  am  satisfied, 
from  experience,  that  hemp  seed,  if  fresh,  (and 
attention  should  be  paid  to  this,  as  it  gets  stale 
much  sooner  than  Canary  or  rape  seed,)  is  a 
nourishing  seed,  and  is  highly  beneficial  if  given 
judiciously  to  Canary  Birds,  and  also  many  other 
cage  birds.  I  have  at  present  in  my  possession 
a  Red-breasted  Thrush  or  Robin,  who  eats  freely 
of  bruised  hemp  seed  every  day,  and  there  never 
was  a  prettier  Robin  in  a  cage,  and  he  sings  even 
at  this  season  (the  autumn)  every  day.  It  has 
been  advanced,  that  giving  hemp  seed  to  Canary 
Birds  will  cause  them  to  have  the  asthma;  if  it 


©ff  bird-keeper's  manual. 

be  so,  it  cannot  be  a  disease  that  birds  are  very 
liable  to,  for  I  kept  birds  when  I  was  eleven  years 
of  age,  and  I  have  always  given  my  Canaries  a 
portion  of  hemp  seed.  I  do  not  believe  I  ever  had 
more  than  half  a  dozen  of  asthmatical  birds  in 
my  Ufe ;  and  when  I  had  one,  I  always  foimd  it 
to  be  a  pretty  old  bird. 

I  feed  my  Canary  Birds  on  a  mixture  of  two 
thirds  Canary  and  one  third  hemp  seed,  with 
occasionally  a  little  rape  seed  in  it.  In  moult- 
ing time  I  give  them  freely  of  rape  seed,  with 
occasionally  a  bit  of  baker's  bread  dipt  in  sweet 
milk.  I  give  them  freely  of  lettuce,  in  sum- 
mer, and  cabbage  or  Savoy  blades  in  autumn 
and  winter.  I  believe  that  these  are  the  best 
vegetables  that  can  be  given  to  Canary  Birds, 
and  superior  to  chickweed,  plantain,  or  any  of 
those  weeds  which  grow  (as  vegetation  is  so  rapid 
with  us)  very  rank  and  strong,  especially  such 
as  grow  in  the  shade,  and  do  not  have  the  vivi- 
fying heat  of  the  sun  to  ripen  them,,  and  which, 
instead  of  being  beneficial  are  very  pernicious. 
A  bit  of  apple  is  not  hurtful,  but  sugar,  figs,  sweet 
cake,  pound  cake,  and  such  things,  only  tend  to 
hurt  the  stomach  of  the  bird,  and  give  it  a  dis- 
taste for  its  natural  food.  The  fact  is,  that  Ca- 
nary Birds  are  like  children,  the  simpler  and 


EUROPEAN   FINCHES.  61 

most  natural  their  food  is,  the  better  they  will 
thrive. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  There  is  such 
a  diversity  of  color  among  these  birds  that  it 
is  sometimes  not  easy  to  distinguish  the  male 
from  the  female.  There  are,  however,  general 
characteristics  given.  The  head  of  the  male  is 
rather  larger  and  longer,  the  eye  fuller,  and  the 
neck  and  legs  a  little  longer.  The  carriage  of  the 
male  is  different,  being  more  upright.  This  last 
I  consider  the  best  criterion,  but  the  person  must 
be  a  close  observer  that  picks  out  a  male  in  this 
way,  and  be  accustomed  to  see  a  good  many 
birds.  The  best  and  surest  test  is  the  singing ;  a 
bird,  if  good  for  anything,  will  sing  in  the  spring, 
especially  if  there  is  a  female  in  the  room  with 
him  that  he  can  see  or  hear.  The  young  males 
may  be  picked  out,  when  six  or  eight  weeks  old, 
by  the  swelUng  of  their  throats  when  warbling 
over  their  notes. 

Location.  —  Found  domesticated  throughout 
the  world.  In  the  Canary  Islands,  Africa —  Resi- 
dent. 


62  bird-keeper's  manual. 


GROSSBEAKS. 


CARDINAL  GROSSBEAK. 

The  Cardinal  Grossbeak,  with  his  bright  black 
and  red  plumage,  and  fine  pointed  crest,  is  really 
a  splendid  bird.  His  fame  for  beauty  and  song 
hath  reached  across  the  Atlantic,  and  in  Europe 
he  is  much  prized,  and  named  the  Virginia  Night- 
ingale, from  the  resemblance  his  notes  bear  to 
the  notes  of  that  bird,  and  which  is  said  by 
judges,  to  be  but  little  inferior.  He  is  a  sprightly 
and  active  bird,  has  a  fine  figure,  and  a  clear 
voice,  and  a  good  deal  of  variety  in  his  note. 
They  are  clean  in  the  cage,  feeding  principally 
upon  seeds,  which  makes  them,  altogether,  very 
desirable  cage  birds,  and  great  favorites  with 
those  who  possess  them.  The  female  of  this 
bird  sings  also  a  low  but  sweet  note. 

They  are  a  hardy  and  easily  kept  bird,  and 
will  live  a  long  time  in  a  cage.  There  was  a 
preserved  specimen  in  Peale's  Museum  some 
years  ago,  which,  it  was  said,  lived  twenty-one 
years  in  the  cage. 


GROSSBEAKS.  63 

Food.  — I  have  kept  them  in  good  health  and 
song,  upon  Canary,  two-thirds,  and  hempseed 
one-third,  and  a  bit  of  beef,  say  twice  a  week, 
scraped  as  for  the  Mocking  Bird.  I  have  had 
them  in  full  song  in  the  middle  of  winter.  They 
require  plenty  of  gravel,  and  water  to  wash  with, 
which  should  never  be  omitted  for  any  bird. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes. — The  male  is 
of  a  fine  red,  brighter  towards  the  head;  under 
the  bill  and  sides  of  the  head  black,  a  fine  large 
pointed  crest,  which  it  can  lower  or  erect  at  plea- 
sure. On  the  female  the  crest  is  smaller,  and  not 
so  often  raised ;  where  the  male  is  black  she  is 
of  a  chestnut  brown.  The  body  is  of  a  drab 
color,  except  the  wings  and  the  tail,  which  are 
nearly  as  red  as  the  male. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  the  Southern 
and  Western  States.  To  the  south  of  Maryland 
—  Resident. 


ROSE-BREASTED  GROSSBEAK. 

This  is  another  elegant  bird,  of  the  same  spe- 
cies, and  likewise  a  charming  songster.    I  think 


64 

it  is  probable  that  this  bird  is  originally  from  the 
far  West,  and  is  now  gradually  spreading  over 
the  country,  as  I  believe  the  first  that  was  seen 
in  Massachusetts  was  caught  in  a  net  set  for 
wild  pigeons,  in  company  with  them,  not  many 
years  ago.  It  is  still  a  rare  bird  here,  although 
sometimes  seen.  A  gentleman,  who  resides  in  the 
vicinity  of  Boston,  told  me,  last  summer,  he  saw 
a  pair  near  his  house,  and  he  hoped  they  would 
breed  somewhere  on  his  premises.  It  is  said  to 
choose  the  most  secluded  parts  of  the  forest  to 
breed,  and  where  the  foliage  is  densest  and  thick- 
est. It  sings  in  the  night,  and  has  a  clear,  mel- 
low and  harmonious  note.  The  female  has  no 
song. 

Food.  —  I  have  kept  several  of  these  birds,  and 
as  they  naturally  incline  to  take  but  little  exercise 
in  a  cage  they  must  not  be  over  fed,  as  they  are 
apt  to  get  too  corpulent  and  fat.  I  have  found  the 
best  food  for  ihem  is  Canary  and  rape  seed,  with 
occasionally  a  bit  of  bread,  dipped  in  milk,  and 
a  little  scraped  beef,  gravel,  and  water  to  wash. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male  of 
this  bird  has  the  .whole  of  upper  parts  black, 
with  two  stripes  of  pure  white  on  the  wings ;  the 


GROSSBEAKS.  66 

lower  parts  a  beautiful  carmine,  or  rose  color. 
The  female's  upper  parts  a  light  drab;  the  lower 
parts  a  light  flaxen  yellow;  the  white  on  the 
wing  less  than  on  the  male. 

Location.  —  Found  probably  throughout  the 
United  States;  not  numerous.  Migrates  south 
in  winter. 


BLUE  GROSSBEAK. 

The  Blue  Grossbeak  is  another  beautiful  bird 
of  this  class.  It  inhabits  Guiana,  and  perhaps 
further  south,  and  is  rather  rare,  even  in  the 
Southern  States.  It  is  but  seldom  that  we  see 
them  in  Massachusetts.  About  half  a  dozen, 
however,  were  brought  to  Boston  last  summer, 
with  some  Nonpareils,  or  Painted  Buntings,  from 
Louisiana.  They  are  active  and  lively  birds, 
and  generally  keep  their  plumage  neat  and 
smooth.  Their  song  is  very  sweet  and  musical, 
but  much  feebler,  than  any  of  the  forementioned 
birds. 

Food.  —  Feed  them  the  same  as  the  Cardinal 
Grossbeak.  ^ 


66  bird-keeper's  manual. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male  is 
wholly  of  a  purple  blue,  skirted  with  black. 
The  female  of  a  dark  drab  color,  tinged  with 
blue. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  the  Southern 
States.  Not  numerous.  Migrates  south  in  win- 
ter. 


PINE  GROSSBEAK. 

This  is  one  of  the  bright  and  beautiful  birds 
who  visit  us,  not  from  the  sunny  lands  of  the 
South,  but  from  the  frozen  regions  of  the  North. 
And  the  modest  and  unassuming  visitant  js  con- 
tent with  humble  fare,  as  we  would  suppose,  but 
which  to  him  no  doubt,  is  a  feast.  Take  a  walk 
some  bright  sunny,  winter  day,  when  the  ground 
is  covered  with  snow,  glittering  like  diamonds 
under  your  feet,  to  some  of  the  rocky  and  barren 
spots  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston,  where  there  are 
stunted  pines  growing,  with  great  bunches  of 
cones  on  the  top  of  them,  and  there  you  will  see 
the  unsuspicious  stranger  at  work.  You  may 
walk  right  up  to  the  tree,  for  he  is  not  at  all 
afraid  of  you.     He   may,   perchance,   turn   his 


GROSSBEAKS.  67 

bright  eye  down  towards  you,  which  seems  to 
say,  "  Let  me  alone,  I  am  doing  very  well,  don't 
interrupt  me ;"  while  he  is  tearing  the  cones  to 
pieces,  and  dexterously  nipping  the  seeds  off  the 
scales,  making  them  fly,  like  a  little  cloud,  all 
around  him ;  while  his  beautiful  red  and  yellow 
plumage,  contrasted  with  the  lovely  evergreen  on 
which  he  is  perched,  and  the  white  underground, 
cannot  but  excite  your  admiration ;  and  you  will 
gaze  on  him  with  delight,  as  I  have  often  done. 
This  bird  is  easily  caught,  and  very  soon  tamed. 
It  may  be  kept  in  a  cage,  and  sings  a  very  sweet 
note.  It  visits  the  North  of  Europe,  also.  When 
kept  some  time  in  a  cage,  it  is  said  to  sing  in  the 
night. 

Food. — It  is  a  hardy  bird,  and  will  live  upon 
almost  any  kind  of  seeds.  It  may  be  kept  on 
Canary,  and  a  little  hemp  seed,  gravel,  and  water 
to  wash. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes. — The  male  has 
the  head,  neck,  breast,  and  rump,  of  a  bright 
vermilion.  The  back  and  wings  are  of  a  black- 
ish brown.  The  female  is  of  a  grayish  green 
color.  These  birds,  like  all  northern  birds,  are 
subject  to  changes  of  color ;  the  red  changing  to 
yellow,  and  the  yellow  to  brown. 


68  bird-keeper's  manual. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  the  Northern 
and  Middle  States,  in  winter.  Breeds  farther 
north.    Found,  also,  in  Northern  Europe. 


COMMON  CROSSBILL. 

This  remarkable  bird  being  once  seen,  the 
most  superficial  observer  can  never  afterwards 
be  mistaken,  as  to  the  genus  to  which  it  belongs. 
The  upper  and  lower  mandibles  of  the  bill  cross 
one  another  about  one-third  from  the  tip.  Show- 
ing a  preserved  specimen  of  this  bird  to  an  honest 
Hibernian  one  day,  after  examining  it  all  over, 
and  trying  to  straighten  the  bill,  he  exclaimed, 
"  Sure  that  bird  must  have  died  of  a  lock-jaw." 
He  is  a  visitant  from  the  north,  like  the  former, 
and,  although  a  smaller  bird,  he  probably  does  as 
much  execution  among  the  pine  cones,  with  his 
powerful  lever  bill,  as  the  other.  He  is  equally 
unsuspicious,  and  you  may  walk  close  up,  and 
look  at  him  at  work,  clinging  to  the  cones  Hke  a 
Parrot,  or  Woodpecker,  sometimes  head  up,  and 
sometimes  down,  but,  like  the  other,  giving  evi- 
dence of  his  work  by  the  husks  which  are  flying 
around  him.     In  a  cage  they  are  very  amusing 


BALTIMORE    ORIOLE.  69 

birds,  clinging  round  the  wires  like  a  parrot,  and 
in  a  short  time  may  be  made  so  tame  as  to  be 
carried  anywhere  on  the  linger.  The  male  has 
a  pleasant  note,  which  is  improved  by  his  being 
kept  in  a  cage.  There  is  another  of  this  genus, 
found  in  America,  the  White  Winged  Crossbill, 
but  it  is  rarely  found  in  the  New  England  States, 
and  is  no  songster. 

Food.  —  Feed  them  on  the  same  food  as  the 
Pine  Grossbeaks. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male 
and  female,  in  plumage,  nearly  the  same  as  the 
Pine  Grossbeak. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  the  Northern 
States,  in  winter.  Also,  in  the  North  of  Europe, 
there  Resident. 


BALTIMORE  ORIOLE. 


This  bird  is  beautiful  in  plumage,  displays  a 
greatdealof  ingenuity  and  skill  in  building  hisnest, 
and  is  likewise  a  good  musical  performer.  And 
although  merit  is  not  always  rewarded,  it  would 


70  bird-keeper's  manual. 

appear  that  his  has  not  altogether  been  overlook- 
ed. At  least,  it  would  seem  that  he  has  attracted 
a  good  deal  of  attention,  from  the  number  of  ap- 
pellations given  him.  He  is  named  the  Golden 
Robin,  Goldfinch,  Fire  Bird,  Fiery  Hang  Bird,  &c. 
The  last  name  intimating  that  he  frames  a  pen- 
sile nest,  which  he  suspends  from  the  extreme 
branches  of  some  high  elm,  weeping  willow,  or 
an  apple  tree,  in  the  orchard.  The  name  he 
now  retains,  it  is  said,  is  derived  from  the  colors 
of  his  plumage,  being  orange  and  black;  and 
that  being  the  color  of  the  arms  and  livery  of 
Lord  Baltimore,  to  whom  Maryland,  when  a 
Colony,  was  granted,  the  bird  being,  perhaps, 
pretty  often  seen  there  at  that  time.  Besides 
its  beauty,  there  is  no  bird,  perhaps,  so  do- 
cile, and  which  can  be  so  completely  domes- 
ticated as  the  Baltimore  Oriole.  A  lady  from 
the  country  called  upon  me  one  day,  who  had 
one  of  these  birds  she  had  brought  fifty  miles 
in  the  cars  with  her;  it  was  a  very  beauti- 
ful one;  it  nestled  in  her  dress,  and  when 
told  would  sit  on  her  finger,  and  eat  from  her 
mouth.  She  said  it  never  attempted  to  go  away 
from  her,  it  was  so  attached  to  her  ;  of  course  the 
attachment  was  reciprocal.  I  kept  one  for  some 
time,   it  hung  in  a  room   where  we  eat.     On 


ORCHARD    ORIOLE.  71 

coming  in  to  my  meals,  I  would  open  its  cage 
door,  and  calling  it,  it  would  perch  on  my  finger, 
and  taking  it  to  the  table  it  would  take  breakfast 
or  dinner  with  me.  It  would  hop  round  the 
table,  help  itself  to  bread  and  butter,  and  sip  tea 
out  of  the  saucer ;  and  after  tasting  of  all  that 
was  on  the  table,  it  would  sit  quietly  near  me, 
until  I  put  it  into  its  cage  again,  when  it  would 
give  me  its  thanks,  in  all  the  little  notes  it  could 
muster. 

There  is  another  bird  of  this  class,  named  the 
Orchard  Oriole,  which  has  caused  much  confu- 
sion among  naturalists,  being  confounded  with 
the  above  species;  they  are  closely  allied,  but> 
there  is  no  doubt  they  are  distinct.  The  male 
is  not  near  so  beautiful  a  bird  as  the  male  of 
the  Baltimore,  and,  what  is  rather  remarkable, 
although  found  from  Connecticut  to  Texas,  they 
are  not  found  in  Maine  or  Massachusetts. 

Food.  —  I  feed  them  on  meal  and  milk,  with, 
twice  a  week,  a  little  beef,  and  hemp  seed,  bruised 
in  a  mortar,  and  put  in  a  box  in  the  cage,  so  as 
they  can  eat  it  when  they  please.  When  kept 
in  the  house  they  probably  do  as  well  by  getting 
a  little,  as  the  saying  is,  of  everything  that  is 
going;   a  little   cooked  or  raw  meat,   potatoes 


72  bird-keeper's  manual. 

bread,  &c.  It  is  generally  supposed  that  they 
cannot  be  kept  in  the  winter.  This  is  a  mistake  ; 
a  young  lady  had  one  from  me  more  than  three 
years  ago ;  I  saw  it  lately,  and  it  was  in  good 
health,  and  in  fine  plumage. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes. — The  male  of 
this  bird  has  the  head,  throat,  back,  and  wings, 
black.  The  rump,  pretty  high  up  on  the  back, 
and  lower  parts,  a  bright  orange  ;  a  band  of  the 
same  across  the  back,  and  the  orange  brightens 
into  vermilion  on  the  breast.  The  female,  where 
the  male  is  black,  is  a  yellowish  brown,  lower 
parts  a  dull  brownish  yellow. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  the  United 
States,  in  summer.  Migrates  south  in  the  au- 
tumn. 


SCARLET  TANAGER. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  gaudily  dressed  of 
our  birds  who  visits  us  regularly  from  southern 
climes,  for  the  purpose  of  incubation ;  and  when 
seen  flitting  through  some  of  our  fine  green  trees, 
with  his  bright  scarlet  body,  and  jet  black  wings 


SCARLET     TANAGER.  73 

and  tail,  his  appearance  is  truly  splendid.  His 
sojourn  with  us  is  but  short ;  he  arrives  here  in 
May,  and  departs  again  about  the  latter  end  of 
August.  His  common  call  sounds  like,  chip 
churr^  the  last  syllable  dwelt  upon ;  he  has,  be- 
sides, a  fine  mellow  note.  They  begin  to  moult 
before  they  leave  us.  The  male  then  has  a  very 
curious  appearance ;  the  young  feathers  come  out 
green,  consequently  he  is  all  spotted  over  scarlet 
and  green.  Probably  like  the  American  Gold- 
finch, and  others,  he  has  two  suits,  and  on  leaving 
us  puts  off  his  scarlet,  and  dons  the  green. 

Food.  —  The  food  I  have  found  most  agreeable 
to  these  birds  is  grated  stale  bread,  egg  and 
bruised  hempseed,  the  same  as  forthe  Sky  Lark, 
with  the  addition  of  fruit,  berries  and  cherries  in 
the  summer,  and  in  the  winter  apple  and  black 
currants.  They  must  be  fed  sparingly,  as  they 
take  but  little  exercise  in  the  cage,  and  are  apt  to 
get  too  corpulent.  The  only  way  I  know  to 
guard  against  this  is  to  give  them  plenty  of  fruit, 
and  less  of  solids. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male  in 
full  plumage,  is  of  a  bright  scarlet,  the  wings  and 
tail  jet  black.     The  female  has  the  upper  parts 
5 


74 

of  a  dusky  green,  the  lower  parts  of  a  dull  yel- 
low, and  the  wings  brown. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  the  United 
States.  Not  numerous  in  New  England  —  Mi- 
gratory. 


SUMMER   RED   BIRD. 

This  bird  is  about  the  size  of  the  Scarlet  Ta- 
nager,  but  the  male  is  a  bright  vermihon,  all 
over.  The  males  are  subject  to  the  same  changes 
of  color  as  the  former,  having  been  found  spotted 
all  over  with  green,  red  and  yellow,  according  to 
their  age.  Their  stay  here  is  very  short.  They 
hatch  their  young  about  the  middle  of  June,  and 
leave  New  Jersey  about  the  middle  of  August. 
They  are  not  found  in  Massachusetts.  Their 
beauty  is  their  most  attractive  quality ;  the  song 
is  a  loud,  sonorous  trilling  note. 

Food. — Treatment  and- food  the  same  as  for 
the  Scarlet  Tanager. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male  is 
a  bright  vermilion  all  over,  except  the  inner  webs 


PURPLE     GRAKLE.  75 

of  the  primary,  or  longest  feathers  of  the  wings, 
which  are  brown ;  this  is  not  seen,  of  course, 
when  the  wings  are  closed.  The  female  has  the 
upper  parts  of  a  brownish  yellow,  the  lower  parts 
an  orange  yellow. 

Location.  —  Found  from  New  York  to  Texas, 
in  the  Middle  States  rather  rare ;  not  found  in 
any  of  the  New  England  States  —  Migratory. 


PURPLE   GRAKLE,  OR  CROW  BLACK  BIRD. 

This  bird  is  rather  longer  than  the  European 
Black  Bird,  but  not  so  robust.  They  are  very 
social  birds,  building  their  nests  in  companies,  on 
the  highest  of  our  trees,  from  the  tops  of  which 
the  males  will  pour  forth  some  loud  and  musical 
notes,  in  concert,  which,  at  a  little  distance,  have 
a  very  pleasing  effect.  After  breeding  they  as- 
semble in  flocks,  and  do  some  damage  to  the 
farmer,  among  the  Indian  corn,  while  in  its 
seculent,  or  milky  state;  but  for  which  they 
compensate  him  in  the  spring,  by  the  multitude 
of  worms,  grubs,  and  caterpillars  they  destroy, 
which  would  soon,  if  it  was  not  for  the  farmer's 


76  eird-keeper's  manual. 

best  friends,  the  birds,  devour  the  fruits  of  his 
orchards,  as  well  as  his  fields.  The  Purple 
Grakle  is  very  docile;  even  an  old  bird,  after 
being  caught,  is  easily  tamed,  and  soon  becomes 
very  familiar.  They  sing  well  in  a  cage,  will 
imitate  the  notes  of  other  birds,  and  have  been 
taught  to  articulate  words. 

Food.  —  These  birds  are  hardy,  and  easily 
kept ;  they  will  almost  eat  anything  that  is  given 
to  them ;  but  will  thrive  well  on  meal  and  milk, 
and  a  bit  of  meat,  either  raw  or  cooked.  Gravel 
in  the  cage,  and  plenty  of  water  to  wash. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes. — The  male  of 
this  bird  is  black,  with  beautiful  blue,  green,  and 
purple  reflexions.  The  female  has  the  upper 
parts  dark  brown,  the  lower  parts  duller  and 
paler. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  the  United 
States,  in  summer.  In  the  Southern  States  — 
Resident. 


RUSTY     GRAKLE.  77 


RUSTY  GRAKLE. 

This  is  another  of  our  Black  Birds,  which  is  a 
winter  visitant,  breeding  far  to  the  northward  of 
us.  They  visit  us  in  the  autumn,  in  small  flocks, 
keeping  company  with  the  Red  Winged  Starhng 
and  Cowpen  Finches,  on  our  meadows,  and  on 
the  approach  of  winter  they  move  further  south 
with  those  birds.  I  have  had  them  in  my  pos- 
session, but  have  not  as  yet  kept  them  long 
enough  to  test  their  singing  properties  in  a  cage. 
They  are  nearly  silent  while  with  us,  having 
only  a  single  note;  but  in  the  countries  where 
they  breed  they  are  said  to  sing  very  sweetly. 
They  are  docile,  and  apt  to  learn,  and  soon  be- 
come very^  tame  and  familiar,  like  the  former. 
Rather  smaller  in  size  than  the  Purple  Grakle,  it 
is  clean  and  handsome  in  shape,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  may  become  an  excellent  cage  bird. 

Food.  —  It  is  a  hardy  bird,  and  may  easily  be 
kept  on  the  same  food  as  the  Purple  Grakle,  or 
the  Red  Winged  Starling. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes. — The  male  of 
this  bird  is  black,  with  beautiful  green  reflex- 


78  bird-keeper's  manual. 

ions.  The  female  has  the  upper  parts  brown, 
the  lower  parts  of  an  ash  color,  and  is  smaller 
in  size. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  the  United 
States,  in  autumn  and  winter.  In  the  spring, 
migrates  north. 


EUROPEAN   WARBLERS. 


NIGHTINGALE. 

This  bird  has  been  celebrated  for  its  musical 
powers,  almost  from  time  immemorial.  Poets 
have  sung  its  praises,  and  historians  have  re- 
corded its  merits ;  and  it  is  figured  on  the  pages 
(not  greatly  to  advantage  however)  of  the  im- 
mortal Shakspeare  himself 

Of  its  merits  or  demerits  as  a  songster,  or 
whether  the  great  bard  was  as  good  a  judge  of 
birds  as  he  was  of  men,  it  behooveth  us  not  to 
speak.  We  are  sorry  to  say  we  never  had  the 
pleasure  of  listening  to  his  delightful  strains,  either 


EUROPEAN   WARBLERS.  79 

by  night  or  day,  as  it  never  honors  that  part  of 
North  Britain,  which  gave  us  birth,  with  its  com- 
pany. It  is  not  found  in  Scotland,  or  Ireland,  or 
Wales,  and  indeed  it  is  only  in  some  parts  of 
England  that  it  will  condescend  to  reside.  It  is 
also  found  in  Sweden  and  Russia. 

As  it  will  not  visit  us,  we  have  tried  very  hard 
to  bring  it,  but  have  not  as  yet  succeeded;  it  is 
rather  a  delicate  bird  and  requires  care  and  atten- 
tion to  keep  it.  A  friend,  who  has  brought  many 
birds  across  the  Atlantic,  left  Liverpool  the  latter 
part  of  last  summer  with  three  of  these  birds,  in 
one  of  the  Boston  steam  packets,  but  they  all  died 
on  the  passage ;  the  last,  two  days  before  he  ar- 
rived in  Boston.^ 

Food.  —  The  following  are  the  German  and 
English  methods  of  feeding  this  bird  : 

*  Since  writing  the  above,  I  am  happy  to  say,  that  a  gentleman  in 
this  city,  who  has  in  his  possession  a  few  of  the  best  American  and 
foreign  songsters,  and  who  devotes  some  of  his  leisure  hours  to  the 
agreeable  recreation  and  rational  amusement  of  studying  their  habits 
and  attending  to  their  little  wants,  has  succeeded  in  getting  two 
Nightingales  (which  he  sent  for)  from  Germany  safe  and  sound. 
They  appear  to  be  in  good  health,  and  I  sincerely  hope  he  will  be  re- 
paid for  the  care  and  attention  he  bestows  upon  them,  by  listening 
to  their  delightful  music  in  the  spring. 


80 

German,  — The  best  food  is  ants'  eggs,  to  which 
are  daily  added  two  or  three  meal  worms ;  when 
none  of  the  former  remain,  they  must  be  supplied 
by  dried,  or  rather  roasted,  ox  heart  and  raw  car- 
rot, both  grated  and  then  mixed  with  dried  ants' 
eggs.  A  little  lean  beef  or  mutton  may  be  used 
sometimes.* 

English.  — White  bread  soaked  in  boiled  milk, 
mashed  into  a  paste,  with  ground  hemp  seed 
scalded,  and  meal-worms  once  or  twice  a  day, 
and  a  small  quantity  of  the  hard-boiled  yolk  of 
an  egg,  or  bread  and  milk,  meal-worms,  or  ants' 
eggs,  or  maggots,  with  boiled  vegetables  and 
pudding,  of  which  they  are  very  fond.f 

American,  — The  Nightingales  now  in  Boston 
are  fed  upon  Indian  meal  and  milk,  meal-worms 
and  ants'  eggs,  and  are  doing  well. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  Nightin- 
gale is  scarcely  as  large  as  a  common  sized  Canary 
bird,  and  of  plain  and  homely  colored  plumage. 
The  male  has  the  upper  parts  of  a  yellowish  brown, 
reddish  towards  the  head  ;  the  primaries  or  main 
feathers  of  the  wings  are  darker,  and  towards  the 
tail  a  chestnut  color ;  the  lower  parts,  on  the  throat 

*  Bechstein. 

t  Timbs's  Manual  of  Cage  Birds. 


/ 


EUROPEAN   WARBLERS.  81 

and  breast,  are  grayish  white,  almost  pure  white 
towards  the  vent;  at  the  tail  yellowish  white. 
The  female  is  smaller  in  size,  but  similar  in 
plumage,  and  is  only  known  (it  is  said)  by  the 
general  characteristics,  not  standing  so  upright 
as  the  male,  having  a  smaller  eye,  &c. 

Location.  —  This  bird  takes  a  most  extensive 
range,  and  is  said  to  be  found  in  Europe,  Asia, 
and  Africa,  and  in  them  all  Resident. 


BLACK  CAP. 

This  bird  is  about  the  same  size,  and  closely 
allied  to  the  Nightingale,  although  placed  by 
naturalists  in  a  different  genera.  It  does  not  re- 
quire that  care  and  attention,  nor  the  variety  of 
food  which  the  Nightingale  does;  and  by  many 
the  notes  of  the  Black  Cap  are  thought  fully 
equal,  and  by  some  superior,  to  the  Nightingale. 
We  have  never  had  the  pleasure  of  keeping  this 
bird.  Until  within  a  few  years  it  was  was  very 
rare  in  Scotland ;  it  is  now  more  common,  and 
is  more  equally  distributed  through  England, 
Formerly,  it  was  only  found  in  particular  dis- 


82^ 


tricts.  In  Germany  it  is  named  the  Monk,  from 
its  black  cap.=^  The  notes  of  this  bird  are  similar 
to  the  Nightingale ;  it  also  sings  in  the  night. 
The  female  sings  in  strains,  it  is  said,  resembling 
the  song  of  the  Robin  Red  Breast. 

Food.  —  It  is  recommended  to  feed  this  bird 
the  same  as  the  Robin  Red  Breast;  and  I  have 
no  doubt  it  might  be  kept  well  on  the  same  food 
as  the  American  Mocking  Bird.  It  eats  of  wild 
berries  freely. 

CHARACTERrsTics  OF  THE  Sexes. — The  male  of 
this  bird  has  the  upper  parts  of  a  bluish  gray,  the 
top  and  back  of  the  head,  down  as  far  as  the 
eyes,  jet  black ;  the  lower  parts  are  of  grayish 
white.  The  female  has  head  (where  black  on 
the  male,)  of  a  yellowish  brown,  the  under  parts 
are  of  a  brownish  white. 

Location. —  The  range  of  this  species  seems  to 
be  fully  as  extensive  as  the  other  preserved  spe- 
cimens, having  been  sent  from  Japan  and  Java.f 
It  is  found  in  Norway  and  Lapland,  in  the  Azores, 
and  in  Madeira.     In  Europe  it  is  migratory. 

*  Bechsteiii.  t  Naturalist's  Library. 


EUROPEAN     WARBLERS.  83 


ROBIN  RED  BREAST. 

This  pretty  little  bird  has  been  rendered  famous 
in  story  by  figuring  conspicuously  in  a  pathetic 
nursery  tale,  well  known  in  the  land  of  our  fore- 
fathers, to  every  child  that  is  able  to  master  its 
first  reading  lesson,  The  Babes  of  the  Wood. 
Well  do  we  remember  how  we  sympathized  with 
the  poor  babes,  left  all  alone  in  the  woods ;  and 
how  the  tears  started  into  our  eyes  while  we  read 
that  at  last  they  laid  them  down  to  die,  in  each 
other's  arms.  And  how  we  did  love  the  little 
Robin  Red  Breast  who  covered  them  over  with 
leaves,  and  then  sweetly  sang  their  funeral  dirge. 
How  susceptible  the  youthful  mind  is  of  early 
impressions,  especially  when  the  finer  feelings  of 
our  nature  are  touched;  neither  time  nor  space 
can  obliterate  them,  and  they  cling  fondly  to 
memory  until  the  last.  The  Robin  Red  Breast 
is  remarkable  for  his  familiarity ;  he  will  not 
only  fearlessly  approach  the  cottage  door  to  pick 
the  crumbs,  but  in  the  winter  he  will  take  up 
his  quarters  inside,  having  his  particular  roost 
or  place  to  sit,  to  which  he  will  come  regularly 
every  night.  These  birds  seem  to  have  an  innate 
attachment  to  the  society  of  man ;  for  although 


84  bird-keeper's  manual.    ' 

they  are  solitary  birds,  breeding  only  in  pairs, 
sometimes  in  the  most  secluded  portions  of  the 
woods,  yet  a  woodcutter,  or  other  person,  will 
not  be  at  work  long  in  the  forest,  even  the  most 
secluded  parts  of  it,  without  having  the  company 
of  one  or  a  pair  of  these  birds,  carefully  picking 
up  the  fragments  of  their  meals,  or  the  insects 
brought  to  light  by  their  operations.  And  in  the 
breeding  season,  when  birds  generally  seclude 
themselves,  their  attachment  to  man  is  exempli- 
fied, for  they  will  breed  anywhere  near  him. 
Under  the  eaves  of  the  barn,  in  a  hole  in  the 
wall,  in  the  cowhouse,  or  the  greenhouse,  they 
will  build  their  nest,  and  unsuspiciously  rear 
their  brood.  Sawpits  used  to  be  favorite  spots 
with  them;  those  sawpits  built  with  stones, 
which  I  suppose  are  almost  obsolete  now :  there 
they  would  raise  their  brood  some  few  feet  from 
where  the  sawyers  were  at  work ;  but  there  they 
were  secure,  for  the  workmen  would  not  molest 
them ;  and,  whether  it  proceeded  from  their  asso- 
ciation with  the  above  event,  or  from  their  ex- 
treme sociability  with  man,  they  were  generally 
loved  and  cherished ;  and  the  nest  of  the  Robin 
Red  Breast  was  always  spared  by  the  boys.  He 
is  now  kept  in  cages  and  aviaries,  and  is  still  a 
greater  favorite  than  formerly,  not  only  for  his 


EUROPEAN    WARBLERS.  86 

pretty  plumage  and  great  sociability,  but  like- 
wise for  his  song,  which,  when  wild,  is  delight- 
ful ;  but  when  kept  in  a  cage  is  very  much  im- 
proved, and  is  said,  in  the  spring,  to  be  really 
enchanting.  They  are  very  docile,  and  can 
easily  be  taught  to  sing  on  the  finger,  and  eat 
out  of  the  hand.  We  hope  to  have  some  of  these 
pretty  little  warblers  here  before  long,  to  answer 
for  themselves. 

Food.  —  Bread  and  milk  is  recommended ;  also 
crumbs  of  bread,  and  beef  minced  fine ;  and  they 
are  said  to  be  very  fond  of  cheese.  It  is  also  said 
they  are  subject  to  diarrhoea.  Now  I  know  by 
experience,  as  I  have  before  stated,  that  any  bird, 
kept  constantly  upon  a  diet  of  bread  and  milk, 
either  raw  or  boiled,  will  be  subject  to  that  dis- 
ease, more  or  less.  And  I  have  no  doubt  but  our 
yankee  fare,  meal  and  milk  would  agree  very 
well  with  them,  as  a  staple  dish.  And  it  is 
probable  that  those  pretty  little  warblers  can  be 
kept  in  good  health  on  the  same  treatment  as  our 
Mocking  Bird. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male 
has  the  forehead,  sides  of  the  head,  and  lower 
parts,  a  fine  orange  red  ;  the  upper  parts  of  the 


body  are  a  brown  olive.  On  the  upper  part  of 
the  shoulder  there  are  some  yellow  spots,  which 
are  good  marks  to  distinguish  the  male,  as  the 
females  are  destitute  of  them,  except  when  very 
old,  and  then  they  are  very  faint.  The  female 
is  smaller,  and  the  color  much  duller. 


^i 


Location.  —  Found  throughout  Europe,  in 
Britain —  Resident.  On  the  Continent —  Migra- 
tory. 


AMERICAN  LARKS. 


MEADOW   LARK. 

Although  this  bird  has  not,  as  yet,  been  often 
kept  in  a  cage,  I  see  no  reason  why  it  should 
not  be ;  and  when  its  merits  are  known  there 
is  no  doubt  it  will.  For  although  for  song  it 
will  not  bear  a  comparison  with  the  European 
bird,  the  sky  lark,  that  rises  on  the  wing,  and 
with  delightful  warblings  hails  the  dawning  morn, 
yet  the  male  is  a  beautiful  bird,  and  sings  a 
sweet  and  plaintive  note.  They  frequent  our 
pastures  and   rich   meadows,  where  they  build 


AMERICAN     LARKS.  87 

their  nest,  generally  in  a  tussock  of  grass,  and 
during  this  season,  the  males  will  mount  to  the 
tops  of  the  trees,  or  bushes  near,  and  serenade 
their  mates  below,  with  their  fine,  long,  clear, 
and  mellow  notes. 

Food. — They  are  hardy  birds,  and  will  live 
in  a  cage  on  almost  any  kinds  of  seeds.  They 
may  be  kept  well  on  one-third  hemp,  and  two- 
thirds  Canary  seed ;  a  bit  of  beef  occasionally, 
plenty  of  gravel,  and  water  to  wash. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  These  birds 
are  larger  than  our  Robin.  The  male  has  the 
upper  parts  of  a  speckled  reddish  gray,  all  the 
lower  parts  a  rich,  bright  yellow,  a  streak  of 
black  on  each  side  of  the  head,  and  the  breast 
ornamented  with  an  oblong  crescent  of  the  same 
color.  In  the  female  the  black  is  grayish,  and 
the  yellow  is  of  a  duller,  dunnish  hue. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  the  United 
States  —  Migratory.  Numbers  winter  in  the 
Southern  States. 


bird-keeper's  manual. 


SHORE   LARK. 


This  is  another  beautiful  bird  of  this  genus, 
that  visits  us  in  winter  from  the  North,  where  it 
breeds.  It  is  also  found  in  Europe.  They  fly  here 
in  flocks,  and  their  call  has  a  resemblance  to  the 
Sky  Lark  of  Europe ;  and  in  some  parts  of  the 
Union  they  are  named  the  Sky  Lark,  and  in 
others  the  Shore  Lark.  In  the  countries  where 
they  breed  they  are  said  to  mount  in  the  air  (like 
the  European  species)  and  sing  sweetly.  Last 
spring  I  had  a  female  that  was  wing-tipped ;  I 
put  it  in  a  large  cage,  with  some  Canary  Birds. 
At  first,  when  any  of  them  would  approach  it,  it 
would  open  its  mouth  to  the  utmost  extent  to 
frighten  them  away,  I  supposed,  but  it  never 
ofiered  to  attack  any  of  them,  nor  they  it  I 
have  no  doubt  but  the  males  would  sing  in  a 
cage.  I  heard  nothing  from  this  but  the  call: 
but,  being  a  female,  of  course  I  could  not  expect 
it  to  sing.  It  was  very  fond  of  dusting  itself,  like 
all  the  rest  of  the  genus ;  and  when  I  put  a  ves- 
sel, with  gravel,  in  the  cage,  it  would  jump  into 
it  and  make  it  fly  all  around,  and  seemed  quite 
delighted. 

Food.  — It  eat  of  all  the  seeds  in  the  cage.     I 


AMERICAN    LARKS.  89 

bruised  some  hemp  seed  for  it,  and  gave  it  occa- 
sionally a  bit  of  bread. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male  of 
this  bird  has  the  forehead,  throat,  sides  of  neck, 
and  a  line  over  the  eye,  of  a  fine  straw  yellow ; 
back  of  the  head  and  neck  black,  which  bounds 
the  yellow  all  round  the  back,  a  reddish  drab 
color ;  lower  parts  reddish  white.  The  female 
has  little  or  no  black  on  the  head,  and  all  the 
colors  are  paler  and  dingy.  The  male  has  a  few 
long  black  feathers  above  the  eyebrows,  which  it 
can  erect  at  pleasure,  which  look  hke  little  horns, 
like  those  of  some  of  the  Owl  tribe. 

Location. — Found  throughout  the  United 
States,  in  winter.  Migrates  north  in  the  spring. 
Found  also  in  the  North  of  Europe. 


BROWN  LARK. 

This  bird  is  rather  smaller  than  the  last  men- 
tioned, and  is  likewise  a  winter  visitant.     They 
visit  us  in  the  autumn,  and  fly  in  small  flocks 
about   our   meadows  and  ploughed  fields.     Al- 
6 


90  bird-keeper's  manual. 

though  almost  silent  while  here,  having  only  a 
single  note,  there  is  no  doubt  but  they  sing  in  the 
countries  where  they  breed,  as  those  of  our  win- 
ter visitants,  who  have  been  seen  there,  in  their 
breeding  season,  are  said  to  sing  sweetly.  I 
have  not  yet  been  able  to  procure  a  live  speci- 
men, to  try  its  singing  qualities  in  the  cage. 
In  the  Western  States,  where  numbers  of  them 
winter,  they  are  named  the  Prairie  Tit  Lark. 

Food.  —  They  may  be  fed  the  same  as  the 
Meadow  Lark; 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  — The  male  has 
the  upper  parts  of  a  brown  olive  color ;  the  breast 
and  lower -parts  are  a  light  yellowish  brown, 
spotted  with  black  ;  the  spots  most  numerous  on 
the  breast.  The  female  bears  a  strong  resem- 
blance to  the  male  ;  the  only  difference,  the  colors 
are  duller  on  the  female. 

Location.  —  Found  in  winter  in  the  New  En- 
gland States  ;  many  of  them  winter  in  the  West- 
ern States.     Breeds  in  the  Fur  Countries. 


EUROPEAN    LARKS.  91 


EUROPEAN  LARKS. 


SKY   LARK. 

It  is  a  bright  spot  to  look  back  upon,  in  the 
sunny  days  of  our  youth,  when  in  the  fields,  on 
a  fine  summer  morning,  we  listened  to  this  de- 
lightful warbler,  and  gazed  upon  him  in  his  up- 
ward flight,  until  lost  to  our  view.  We  could 
still  hear  him,  though  faintly,  and  still  gaze  up, 
and  wonder  how  high  he  would  go,  until  again 
he  would  come  into  view  descending,  and  carrol- 
ling  his  joyful  lay  all  the  while ;  and  on  coming 
near  he  would  stop  singing,  and  shutting  his 
wings  would  descend  rapidly  to  the  earth,  in 
a  slanting  direction.  The  song  of  the  Sky  Lark 
is  one  continued  strain  of  cheerful  warbling  notes, 
sometimes  uttered  high,  and  sometimes  low.  He 
enlivens  the  labors  of  the  husbandman,  is  the 
theme  of  the  poet,  and  in  all  illustrations  of  rural 
scenery  he  stands  prominent. 

These  delightful  warblers  will  sing  well  in  a 
cage,  which  should  be  eighteen  inches  long,  at 
least  to  give  them  room  to  run.     At  one  end  of 


92    '  bird-keeper's  manual. 

it  keep  a  box,  two  inches  deep,  and  six  or  seven 
inches  square,  filled  with  dry  sand,  or  fine  gravel, 
to  dust  themselves  in  ;  of  this,  like  the  Shore  Lark, 
they  are  very  fond.  At  the  end,  a  piece  of  green 
turf;  this  is  very  necessary,  and  should  be  re- 
newed once  a  week,  if  convenient.  Those  who 
keep  this  bird  should  have  turf  cut  in  the  fall, 
and  kept  in  the  cellar  for  winter  use.  He  is 
delighted  with  every  new  one  he  gets;  he  will  eat 
the  grass  off  of  it,  and  then  stand  on  it  and  sing. 
The  cage  should  not  be  put  high  up  in  the  room ; 
they  are  a  very  timid  bird,  and  apt  to  fly  sud- 
denly up  when  you  open  the  cage  door  to  feed 
them,  which  is  disagreeable ;  and  the  bird  may 
get  injured  against  the  top  of  the  cage.  To  get 
them  tame,  and  keep  them  so,  it  is  better  to  hang 
the  cage  about  the  height  of  your  breast.  I  have 
known  tame  birds  get  quite  wild  when  put  up 
near  the  roof.  If  your  bird  flies  about  too  much, 
and  is  afraid  of  you,  hang  a  cloth  over  the  cage ; 
they  do  not  in  general  spring  up,  except  when 
you  open  the  cage  door.  If  a  bird  continues 
doing  so,  it  may  be  necessary  to  stretch  a  piece 
of  cotton  cloth,  as  a  roof  to  the  cage,  and  then  if 
it  does,  it  will  not  hurt  itself. 

Food.  —  I  have  kept  these  birds,  without  difli- 


EUROPEAN     LARKS.  93 

culty,  in  good  health  and  song,  on  stale  bread, 
but  not  sour,  grated  up  and  mixed  with  a  small 
portion  of  hard  boiled  egg,  adding  occasionally 
a  bit  of  lettuce  or  cabbage,  and  a  bit  of  beef 
minced  fine.  I  always  kept  a  box,  with  some 
hemp  seed  bruised  in  a  mortar,  to  eat  when  he 
wished.  Keep  plenty  of  gravel  in  the  bottom  of 
the  cage;  they  do  not  wash  much.  I  have  seen 
them  dip  their  head  in  the  water,  and  no  more. 
The  box  of  sand  is  their  bathing  tub. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  upper 
.  parts  of  the  male  are  yellowish  brown  ,  the  lower 
parts  dusky  yellow,  with  lengthened  spots  of 
black  on  the  breast,  a  whitish  ring  round  the  eye. 
The  female  is  smaller  in  size,  destitute  of  the 
white  ring  round  the  eye,  has  more  spots  on  the 
breast,  and  some  on  the  back,  and  the  breast  is 
much  whiter.  The  feathers  on  the  crown  of  the 
male  are  partly  elongated,  and  can  be  raised  in  a 
crest,  at  will. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  Europe.     Par- 
tially migratory. 


94  bird-keeper's  manual. 


THE  WOOD  LARK. 


This  bird  bears  some  resemblance  to  the  Sky 
Lark,  but  it  is  smaller  in  size.  It  is  said  to  be 
superior  in  the  melody  and  rich  tone  of  its  song 
to  the  other,  but  inferior  in  variety  and  compass 
of  voice.  Of  this  we  cannot  speak  from  expe- 
rience, as  we  have  never  heard  one,  or  seen  a 
specimen.  In  Scotland  it  is  scarcely  ever  seen ; 
indeed,  in  England,  it  is  only  found  at  times  in 
some  particular  counties,  and  lately  some  few 
have  been  seen  in  Ireland.  In  Britain  it  is  a 
very  rare  bird,  but  it  is  found  in  greater  numbers 
on  the  Continent ;  and  as  it  may  yet  be  brought 
here  we  will  tell  all  we  can  learn  about  it.  In 
its  habits  it  differs;  it  is  what  is  called  arbo- 
real. It  perches  upon  trees,  on  which  it  will  sit 
and  sing;  also,  it  sings  on  the  wing,  like  the 
other,  but  it  does  not  rise  perpendicular,  but  sails 
round  in  circles,  and  when  it  attains  to  a  great 
height,  it  will  remain  stationary  and  sing,  it  is 
said,  for  hours  together,  in  the  same  manner  as 
when  perched  on  a  tree. 

Food.  —  The  same  as  the  Sky  Lark,  and  like- 
wise the  cage. 


RICE-BIRD,     OR    BOBOLINK.  9S 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  upper 
parts  of  the  male  are  rather  darker  than  the  Sky 
Lark,  being  a  brownish  black ;  the  lower  parts 
straw  yellow ;  the  streak  round  the  eye  brighter, 
the  feathers  on  the  crown,  which  it  forms  into  a 
crest,  are  longer.  The  female  is  more  spotted, 
and  the  yellow  almost  white,  Uke  the  female  of 
the  Sky  Lark. 

Location. — Found  throughout  Europe.  Not 
numerous.     Partially  migratory. 


RICE  BIRD,  OR   BOBOLINK. 

This  is  the  Rice  Bird  of  the  Southern  States, 
the  Reed  Bird  of  Pennsylvania,  and  the  Bobolink 
of  the  New  England  States,  and  is  about  as  well 
known  in  New  England  as  the  Robin  Red-Breast 
is  in  Old  England.  His  note  is  highly  musical, 
and  the  rapidity  with  which  it  is  uttered  makes 
it  lively  and  cheering.  To  me  it  is  charming;  I 
think  there  is  something  woodland- wild  about  it 
that  no  other  bird^s  note  possesses  except  the 
English  Sky  Lark;  and  in  the  spring  of  the  year, 
when  descending  from  the  top  of  some  tall  tree  to 


96  bird-keeper's  manual. 

the  green  grass  below,  warbling  its  delightful 
notes  in  the  descent,  it  always  reminds  me  of 
that  bird.  The  note  of  this  bird  has  been  trans- 
lated by  the  ingenious  and  much  esteemed  natu- 
ralist, Nuttall,  as  follows: 

Bobolink,  Bobolink,  Tom  Denny,  Tom  Denny,  Pay  me 
the  five  Pounds  you  borrowed  of  me  more  than  a  y-e-a-r-a-go. 

I  have  before  stated  that  a  close  observer  of 
birds  can  discern  a  difference  in  their  notes,  even 
of  the  same  species.  During  my  residence  in 
the  country,  some  years  ago,  there  was  one  of 
these  birds  which  had  its  nest  in  a  field  of  grass 
of  about  an  acre,  adjoining  the  house  of  my  next 
neighbor.  This  bird  had  a  very  peculiar  note, 
different,  I  think,  from  any  I  have  ever  heard; 
and,  although  surrounded  with  these  birds,  which 
had  their  nests  in  the  adjacent  meadows,  besides 
having  them  in  cages  in  the  house,  all  of  which 
were  singing,  I  could  always  tell  when  this  bird  ^ 
sang;  and  the  inmates  of  my  family  also  would 

say,  when  they  heard  it,  —  ^^  There  is  Mr. *s 

Bobolink  singing."  This  bird,  being  undisturbed, 
raised  its  brood  before  the  grass  was  cut,  and  dis- 
persed over  the  fields  with  its  young,  and  the  rest 

its  species.     And  it  is  a  remarkable  fact,  that 
the  next  season  a  bird,  having  the  same  note. 


RICE    BIRD,    OR    BOBOLINK.  97 

came  back  to  the  same  little  field  again ;  there 
was  no  mistaking  the  note ;  if  not  the  same  bird, 
it  must  have  been  one  of  his  descendants  who 
inherited  the  father's  voice  exactly.  That  birds 
form  attachment  to  their  old  locations,  and  will 
come  back  to  them,  there  is  no  doubt ;  and  I  be- 
lieve in  this  instance,  that  this  was  the  same 
identical  bird  that  had  come  thousands  of  miles, 
and  passed  over  many  lakes  and  rivers,  and 
many  a  field  of  grass,  to  the  old  spot  where  it 
had  been  so  happy  the  season  before,  again  to 
raise  another  family. 

In  the  month  of  July,  the  male  of  this  bird 
(the  plumage  of  which  is  white  and  black)  be- 
gins gradually  to  change  in  color,  and  about  the 
end  of  August  the  plumage  is  like  the  female  and 
young,  yellow,  streaked  with  brown;  but  I  have 
now  in  my  possession  four  Rice  Birds,  or  Bobo- 
links, who  have  not  yet  changed  the  color  of 
a  feather."^  They  are  in  beautiful  plumage,  the 
same  as  in  the  spring;  not  a  shade  lighter,  and 
sing  every  fine  day.  Their  not  changing  is 
very  remarkable.  I  have  kept  these  birds  for 
many  years,  and  I  never  knew  an  instance  of 
the  kind  before. 

*  Dec.  25. 


98 

Food.  —  They  are  clean  birds,  and  easily  kept 
in  a  cage;  but  the  cage,  to  keep  the  bird  well, 
should  be  at  least  eighteen  inches  long,  and  the 
roosts,  or  perches,  placed  as  far  apart  as  pos- 
sible, to  enable  the  bird  to  exercise  its  wings  in 
leaping  from  one  roost  to  the  other.  I  have  found 
this  beneficial  to  them,  and  it  induces  them  to  take 
more  exercise  in  the  cage.  Feed  them  with 
Canary  seed  alone,  as  they  are  much  inclined  to 
obesity,  and  often  die  of  something  like  apo- 
plexy. I  never  could  get  them  to  eat  of  vegeta- 
bles ;  sometimes  they  will  eat  a  bit  of  apple,  but 
in  general  they  eat  nothing  but  their  seed.  A 
bird  that  is  kept  for  some  time  in  a  cage  might 
be  induced  to  eat  of  green  stuffs ;  if  it  did,  it  would 
be  highly  beneficial  to  it  in  a  domestic  state. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male  of 
the  second  season  is  easily  distinguished  from 
the  female ;  in  the  spring  it  is  black,  with  a  broad 
band  of  dark  yellow  across  the  hind  neck,  the 
feathers  on  the  back  tipped  with  gray,  brighten- 
ing into  white  at  the  wing.  The  female  has  the 
upper  parts  light  yellowish  brown,  streaked  with 
blackish  brown;  lower  parts,  a  light  grayish 
yellow. 


BED-WINGED   STARLING.  99 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  the  United 
States  in  summer ;  late  in  the  autumn,  they  mi- 
grate south. 


RED-WINGED  STARLING. 

These  birds  are  very  numerous  in  the  United 
States,  and  congregate  in  large  flocks  in  the 
spring  and  fall.  And  although  they  generally 
migrate  farther  south,  large  numbers  of  them 
winter  in  the  Southern  States,  where,  gleaning 
among  the  stubble  of  the  old  rice  and  corn  fields, 
they  find  abundance  of  food  for  ^the  winter. 
Very  early  in  the  spring  they  come  to  us  in 
flocks,  (the  males  first,  as  is  generally  the  case 
with  migratory  birds,)  and  in  the  neighborhood 
of  some  pond,  creek,  or  swampy  meadow,  they 
may  be  seen  in  large  bodies,  performing  their 
aerial  evolutions.  At  times  they  will  all  alight 
on  one  or  more  leafless  trees,  covering  them  from 
top  to  bottom.  The  contrast  of  their  jet  black 
plumage,  and  scarlet  shoulders,  makes  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  trees,  then,  strikingly  beautiful ; 
while  the  combined  notes  of  half  a  thousand  or 
more  of  them,  wafted  on  the  breeze,  at  some  dis- 


100  bird-keeper's  manual. 

tance  off,  is  indeed  one  of  nature's  own  sweet 
concerts,  to  which  I  have  often  hstened  with  de- 
hght.  They  are  very  aniusing  birds  in  a  cage, 
throwing  themselves  into  all  kinds  of  attitudes, 
and  trying  to  imitate  all  they  hear.  There  was 
one  kept  for  some  time  in  Quincy  Market,  near 
the  poultry  stalls,  where,  sometimes,  the  fowls 
are  left  alive,  in  cribs.  This  bird  showed  him- 
self an  apt  scholar,  and  imitated  perfectly  the 
crowing  of  a  cock,  which  attracted  a  good  deal 
of  attention.  This  bird  is  classed  by  the  late 
lamented  Alexander  Wilson,  as  a  Stare,  or  Star- 
ling, (the  opinion  of  some  high  authorities  to  the 
contrary,  notwithstanding.)  That  this  close  ob- 
server of  nature,  and  self-taught  genius,  was 
right  in  this,  (as  he  was  in  almost  every  thing  he 
advanced,)  I  had  sufficient  proof,  last  summer,  to 
convince  the  most  skeptical.  I  had  two  young 
Red  Winged  Starlings,  and  an  old  English  Star- 
ling, in  two  cages,  beside  each  other.  The  Red 
Wings,  in  their  gait  and  attitudes,  in  their  man- 
ner of  eating  the  same  food,  in  the  tone  of  their 
voice,  their  imitative  powers,  and  even  the  color 
of  their  plumage,  were  fac-similes  of  their  great 
type,  the  old  English  Starling;  and  some  of 
their  notes  bearing  a  resemblance  like  his  to  the 
articulation  of  syllables,  I  have  no  doubt  they 


RED-WINGED     STARLING.  101 

might  be  taught  sentences  like  him.  Their  natu- 
ral notes  are  few,  but  very  musical,  and  their 
common  call,  Conk-er-ree^  the  last  syllable  dwelt 
upon,  is  very  pleasing. 

Food.  —  They  are  a  hardy  bird,  and  in  a  cage 
they  will  eat  almost  anything  you  give  them.  I 
feed  them  on  meal  and  milk,  bruised  hemp  seed, 
and  occasionally  a  bit  of  beef,  cut  in  small  pieces, 
or  scraped.  Keep  plenty  of  gravel  in  the  bottom 
of  the  cage,  and  give  them  water  to  wash. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes. — The  male  of 
the  first  and  second  year  has  the  plumage  streak- 
ed with  brown,  the  red  not  being  fully  developed; 
the  third  year  he  is  jet  black  ;  shoulders  a  bright 
and  rich  scarlet,  bordered  with  reddish  white. 
The  female  has  the  upper  parts  brownish,  lower 
pans  spotted,  or  streaked  with  black  and  white. 
Young  male  like  the  female.  Young  female 
browner. 

Location. — Found  throughout  the  United 
States.  Migratory.  Numbers  winter  in  the 
Southern  States. 


104 


ciated  with  the  strong-hooked  bill  of  the  Falcon. 
There  is  also  a  resemblance  in  the  habits  and 
manner  of  feeding  of  the  Shrike.  By  stratagem 
or  pursuit  he  seizes  small  birds  by  the  throat, 
suffocating  them,  and  then  impaling  them  on 
thorns,^^  to  be  devoured  at  leisure ;  his  claws  being 
insufficient  for  either  holding  or  tearing  them; 
he  also  feeds  on  grasshoppers,  and  other  large 
insects,  like  the  Jay,  and  impales  them  in  the 
same  manner.  On  the  approach  of  winter,  this 
bird  visits  us  (from  the  mountain  forests  to  the 
north  of  us,  where  he  breeds,)  and  is  found  in 
the  vicinity  of  Boston  ;  and  in  the  midst  of  win- 
ter, when  hard  pressed  with  hunger,  in  many 
instances  they  have  darted  through  panes  of 
glass  after  Canaries  and  other  birds,  hung  in 
cages  inside,  and  have  in  general  been  taken  in 
the  very  act,  and  some  of  them  have  been  brought 
to  me  to  see  if  they  were  Mocking  Birds,  as  they 
bear  some  resemblance  to  that  bird.  In  one 
instance,  last  winter,  there  was  one  who  succeed- 
ed in  killing  the  poor  Canary  Bird  before  any 
body  came  to  the  rescue ;  he  effected  his  escape 
through Hhe  breach  he  had  made,  on  the  entry  of 
an  inmate  of  the  house,  and  without  his  prey  after 
all,  which  he  was  in  the  act  of  pulling  through  the 

*  From  this  practice  is  derived  the  name  of  Butcher. 


GREAT   AMERICAN   SHRIKE.  105 

wires  of  the  cage  when  interrupted.  It  is  a  grace- 
ful and  active  bird,  and  the  color  of  its  plumage  is 
chaste  and  finely  contrasted  ;  it  has  also  some  very- 
pleasant  warbling  notes,  will  imitate  the  notes  of 
other  birds ;  the  female  also  sings.  They  are  very 
amusing  birds  in  a  cage,  and  if  some  sharp  sticks, 
made  like  thorns,  are  fastened  inside  of  the  cage, 
and  live  mice  or  insects  are  put  in,  they  will,  after 
killing  them,  impale  them  aH  round  on  the  sticks. 
They  have,  in  Europe,  one  of  the  same  genus 
very  closely  allied  to  this  species,  but  not  now 
identified  with  it.  The  only  difference  is  a  little 
more  white  on  the  wing,  and  its  being  one  inch 
less  in  length.  They  are  there  kept  in  cages, 
and  are  great  favorites.  They  are  caught  by 
placing  a  bird  and  cage  in  a  box  trap,  which  is 
so  constructed  that  as  soon  as  he  touches  the 
cage  the  trap  closes  and  shuts  him  up  in  dark- 
ness, from  which  he  is  immediately  taken  and 
transferred  to  another  cage. 

Food.  —  This  bird,  when  caught,  even  when 
old,  can  be  easily  used  to  the  cage  by  giving  it  live 
mice  or  insects,  and  leaving  him  alone,  as  at  first; 
he  will  not  eat,  as  long  as  you  stand  by.  He  will 
very  soon  get  tame,  and  thrive  well  upon  meal 
and  milk,  and  a  bit  of  fresh  beef;  gravel  in  the 
7 


104  bird-keeper's  manual. 

ciated  with  the  strong-hooked  bill  of  the  Falcon. 
There  is  also  a  resemblance  in  the  habits  and 
manner  of  feeding  of  the  Shrike.  By  stratagem 
or  pursuit  he  seizes  small  birds  by  the  throat, 
suffocating  them,  and  then  impaling  them  on 
thorns,=^  to  be  devoured  at  leisure ;  his  claws  being 
insufficient  for  either  holding  or  tearing  them; 
he  also  feeds  on  grasshoppers,  and  other  large 
insects,  like  the  Jay,  and  impales  them  in  the 
same  manner.  On  the  approach  of  winter,  this 
bird  visits  us  (from  the  mountain  forests  to  the 
north  of  us,  where  he  breeds,)  and  is  found  in 
the  vicinity  of  Boston  ;  and  in  the  midst  of  win- 
ter, when  hard  pressed  with  hunger,  in  many 
instances  they  have  darted  through  panes  of 
glass  after  Canaries  and  other  birds,  hung  in 
cages  inside,  and  have  in  general  been  takeu  in 
the  very  act,  and  some  of  them  have  been  brought 
to  me  to  see  if  they  were  Mocking  Birds,  as  they 
bear  some  resemblance  to  that  bird.  In  one 
instance,  last  winter,  there  was  one  who  succeed- 
ed in  killing  the  poor  Canary  Bird  before  any 
body  came  to  the  rescue ;  he  effected  his  escape 
through Hhe  breach  he  had  made,  on  the  entry  of 
an  inmate  of  the  house,  and  without  his  prey  after 
all,  which  he  was  in  the  act  of  pulling  through  the 

*  From  this  practice  is  derived  the  name  of  Butcher. 


GREAT   AMERICAN    SHRIKE.  105 

wires  of  the  cage  when  interrupted.  It  is  a  grace- 
ful and  active  bird,  and  the  color  of  its  plumage  is 
chaste  and  finely  contrasted  ;  it  has  also  some  very- 
pleasant  warbling  notes,  will  imitate  the  notes  of 
other  birds ;  the  female  also  sings.  They  are  very 
amusing  birds  in  a  cage,  and  if  some  sharp  sticks, 
made  like  thorns,  are  fastened  inside  of  the  cage, 
and  live  mice  or  insects  are  put  in,  they  will,  after 
killing  them,  impale  them  aH  round  on  the  sticks. 
They  have,  in  Europe,  one  of  the  same  genus 
very  closely  allied  to  this  species,  but  not  now 
identified  with  it.  The  only  difference  is  a  little 
more  white  on  the  wing,  and  its  being  one  inch 
less  in  length.  They  are  there  kept  in  cages, 
and  are  great  favorites.  They  are  caught  by 
placing  a  bird  and  cage  in  a  box  trap,  which  is 
so  constructed  that  as  soon  as  he  touches  the 
cage  the  trap  closes  and  shuts  him  up  in  dark- 
ness, from  which  he  is  immediately  taken  and 
transferred  to  another  cage. 

Food.  —  This  bird,  when  caught,  even  when 
old,  can  be  easily  used  to  the  cage  by  giving  it  live 
mice  or  insects,  and  leaving  him  alone,  as  at  first; 
he  will  not  eat,  as  long  as  you  stand  by.  He  will 
very  soon  get  tame,  and  thrive  well  upon  meal 
and  milk,  and  a  bit  of  fresh  beef;  gravel  in  the 
7 


106  bird-keeper's  manual. 

cage,  and  plenty  of  water,  as  they  are  fond  of 
bathing. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  adult 
male  has  the  whole  of  the  upper  parts  of  a  rich 
pearl  gray,  the  lower  almost  pure  white;  in 
young  birds,  mixed  with  waving  lines  of  grayish ; 
space  between  the  bill  and  the  eye,  and  surround- 
ing the  eye,  black;  wings,  black;  extremities, 
tipt  with  white ;  a  spot  of  white  on  the  lower  part 
of  the  wing.  The  female  is  easily  distinguished 
by  the  upper  parts  being  light  reddish  brown ;  the 
back  brownish,  and  not  coming  to  the  bill ;  the 
lower  parts  are  reddish  brown,  and  the  waving 
lines  are  brownish,  and  more  developed. 

Location.  —  Found  throughout  the  United 
States  in  winter;  breeds  to  the  Northward  of 
Massachusetts. 


CEDAR  WAXWING. 

We  have  many  birds  of  bright  and  gaudy 
colors,  but  none  who  have  their  plumage  of  a 
more  delicate  and  silky  texture  than  this  bird. 


CEDAR   WAXWINO.  107 

There  are,  I  believe,  but  three  species  of  this 
genus  known  to  naturalists :  The  Cedar  Wax- 
wing,  the  subject  of  this  description ;  the  Bohe- 
mian, or  European  Chatterer,  which  was  first  dis- 
covered in  this  country  on  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
and  it  is  said,  has  been  since  seen  a  little  beyond 
the  Mississippi,  and  another  species,  found  in  East- 
ern Asia.  They  have  all  the  fine  silky  plumage; 
and  the  first  two,  those  remarkable  oblong  append- 
ages at  the  end  of  the  wing  and  tail  feathers,  re- 
sembling red  sealing  wax,  hence  their  name  of 
Waxwing.  There  are,  I  believe,  none  of  them  mu- 
sical, at  least  this,  the  Cedar  Waxwing,  is  not, 
for  it  is  almost  a  mute,  having  nothing  but  a 
single  chirp  not  much  louder  than  a  mouse; 
and  how  they  got  the  name  of  Chatterers,  is  a 
mystery  to  naturalists.  They  are  voracious  birds 
and  great  eaters,  and  this  the  farmer  and  gar- 
dener sometimes  know  to  their  cost,  for  they  are 
very  fond  of  ripe  cherries,  and  are  good  judges  of 
them,  and  generally  select  the  best.  But  they 
are  entitled  to  a  moiety  of  the  fruit  for  their  pro- 
tection of  the  trees,  for  they  devour  ah  enormous 
number  of  insects.  I  have  seen  these  birds  on 
an  apple  tree  continue  for  hours,  eating  canker 
worms  without  intermission.  They  are,  there- 
fore, of  incalculable  benefit  to  the  agriculturist, 


108  bird-keeper's  manual. 

(as  indeed  all  birds  are,  more  or  less,)  and  should 
be  protected  by  him. 

Food.  —  The  Cedar  Waxwing,  as  also  the  Eu- 
ropean Chatterer,  are  sometimes  kept  in  a  cage 
for  their  beauty  ;  they  may  be  fed  with  meal  and 
milk,  or  any  kind  of  berries,  or  cherries,  and  in 
the  winter,  dried  berries  or  black  currants  ;  they 
must  be  soaked  in  water  to  make  them  soft,  so 
that  they  can  swallow  them ;  they  must  also  have 
beef,  cut  in  very  small  bits,  or  scraped,  as  for  the 
Mocking  Bird. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  There  is  no 
distinguishing  characteristics  of  the  sexes  in  the 
plumage  of  these  birds,  and  it  is  of  no  conse- 
quence here,  as  the  song  of  both,  such  as  it  is,  is 
alike. 

The  upper  parts  of  this  bird  are  of  a  reddish 
brown,  or  dark  fawn  color ;  the  front  of  the  neck 
lighter,  the  back  browner ;  on  the  head  a  fine 
crest,  which  comes  up  to  a  sharp  point,  a  line  of 
black,  as  also  a  line  of  white,  runs  from  the  nos- 
tril to  the  back  of  the  head ;  below,  another  line 
of  white  ;  lower  parts,  yellow  ;  white  at  the  tail ; 
and  at  the  extremities  of  the  secondaries,  or  short- 
est feathers  of  the  wings,  there  are  sometimes,  on 


BLUE     JAY.  109 

the  whole  of  them,  oblong  appendages,  resem- 
bling red  sealing  wax  ;  sometimes  they  are  also 
seen  on  the  tail. 

Location.  —  Found,  in  summer,  throughout  the 
United  States ;  in  winter,  in  the  southern  States. 
Have  seen  them  in  the  winter  in  Massachusetts. 


BLUE  JAY. 

This  elegant  and  well  known  bird,  in  the  deli- 
cate coloring  and  beauty  of  his  plumage,  will 
bear  a  comparison  with  any  of  the  gaudy  colored 
birds  of  tropical  climes,  and  it  probably  sur- 
passes many  of  them  in  his  sprightly  and  lively 
attitudes.  He  is  also,  altogether  our  own  bird, 
and  does  not  leave  us,  even  in  the  inclement  sea- 
son of  the  year ;  for  I  have  found  them  in  the 
very  middle  of  winter,  in  our  large  woods,  to 
which  they  resort  in  extreme  cold  weather.  In 
the  autumn  they  secrete  and  bury  acorns,  and 
such  hard  seeds  that  they  feed  on,  in  divers 
places,  it  is  said,  for  their  winter's  hoard.  But  I 
think  it  is  rather  to  indulge  a  propensity  which 
is  natural  to  all  this  class  of  birds,  to  hide  any- 


110  bird-keeper's  manual. 

thing  they  can  find,  for  they  distribute  these  seeds 
in  such  a  scattering  manner  that  it  is  not  possible 
that  they  could  ever  find  nine-tenths  of  them 
again,  when  the  snow  is  on  the  ground.  I  have 
seen  one  of  these  birds,  with  a  large  acorn  in  his 
mouth,  ahght  on  the  top  of  a  gate  post,  and  put 
the  acorn  in  the  centre,  where  the  pith  was  de- 
cayed, and  hammer  it  down  with  his  bill ;  so  that 
if  any  of  my  readers  should  see  a  sapling  grow- 
ing out  of  a  gate  post,  which  is  not  uncommon, 
they  may  conclude  that  Mr.  Jay  was  the  planter. 
I  have  seen  them  put  them  at  the  root  of  a  bush, 
and  in  a  hollow  in  the  open  field,  and  strike 
them  down  with  their  bill  in  the  same  manner. 
It  is  said,  and  there  is  no  doubt  of  it,  that  in  this 
manner,  and  by  dropping  those  seeds  in  trans- 
portation, those  birds  plant  vast  numbers  of  our 
forest  trees.  Their  antics  and  attitudes  in  a  cage 
are  highly  amusing ;  they  are  also  by  no  means 
contemptible  songsters;  some  of  their  high  notes 
I  will  allow,  are  rather  loud,  but  they  have  some 
low  notes  which  are  very  musical.  They  will 
also  imitate  the  notes  of  other  birds.  They  are 
also  very  docile ;  they  will  answer  to  their  name, 
and  form  a  strong  attachment  to  those  who  keep 
them ;  and,  it  is  said,  have  been  taught  to  articu- 
late words.    I  kept  a  pair  for  sometime  in  a  cage 


BLUE    JAY.  Ill 

which  was  built  up  against  the  wall  of  the  room, 
which  formed  one  side.  Close  up  to  the  roof 
they  picked  a  hole  through  the  plastering,  and  it 
was  amusing  to  see  them  indulge  their  favorite 
propensity.  The  surplus  of  their  food,  and  every- 
thing else  which  they  did  not  immediately  want, 
they  put  into  this  hole.  This  would  not  profit 
them  much  for  their  winter's  hoard,  but  it  might 
be  serviceable  to  the  rats  or  mice,  for  it  went 
down  probably  to  the  cellar. 

Food.  —  They  are  hardy,  and  easily  kept  in  a 
cage,  and  are  not  at  all  choice  of  their  food,  for 
they  will  eat  almost  anything.  I  kept  them  m 
fine  plumage  on  meal  and  milk,  and  a  bit  of  beef, 
either  raw  or  cooked. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male  of 
this  bird  has  the  upper  parts  of  a  light  purplish 
blue,  with  a  fine  large  crest  on  the  crown  of  the 
head  ;  the  wings  and  tail  are  barred  with  black, 
and  tipped  with  white,  and  are  of  a  beautiful 
purplish  blue.  There  is  a  band  of  black  round 
the  neck,  and  the  lower  parts  are  of  a  brownish 
white.  The  female  has  the  crest  much  smaller ; 
the  black,  grayish,  and  the  blue  is  lighter  and 
duller. 


112  bird-keeper's  manual. 

Location.  —  Found    throughout    the     United 
States  —  Resident. 


THE  MAGPIE. 

With  the  name  of  this  bird  are  associated  sto- 
ries of  poor  forlorn  maidens,  who  have  been 
unjustly  accused  of  pilfering  silver  spoons,  jew- 
elry, (fcc. ;  while  our  hero,  indulging  in  his  natu- 
ral propensity,  and  great  partiality  for  all  glitter- 
ing things,  has  been  the  guilty  culprit.  The 
American  bird  has  been  compared  and  examined 
with  the  European,  and  no  material  difference 
can  be  discovered.  When  kept  tame,  in  a  family, 
he  has  the  same  qualities,  and  the  same  prac- 
tices. He  will  answer  to  his  name,  will  fol- 
low an  inmate  of  the  family  all  over  the  house, 
or  out  of  doors;  may  be  taught  to  articulate 
words,  and  will  carry  off  everything  that  glitters 
that  he  can  carry  to  his  hoarding  place,  which 
has  caused  sometimes  a  great  deal  of  trouble. 
Although  his  colors  are  but  two,  there  is  such  a 
contrast,  that  with  his  fine  long  tail  he  has  a  very 
elegant  appearance,  and  is  so  very  tame  and 
familiar,  that  he  is  always  a  great  favorite^  whe« 


THE    MAGPIE.  113 

ther  in  a  cage,  or  going  at  large  in  the  house. 
If  he  is  allowed  to  range  the  house,  it  will  be 
well  to  keep  the  things  he  likes  so  well  out  of  his 
reach,  or  he  may  put  them  where  my  Blue  Jays 
put  the  surplus  of  their  food,  where  it  may  be 
very  difficult  to  find  them. 

Food.  —  Their  food,  like  the  Blue  Jays,  they 
are  no  wise  choice  about ;  they  will  eat  anything 
that  is  used  in  the  house.  In  a  cage  they  thrive 
well  on  meal  and  milk,  and  a  bit  of  meat,  cooked 
or  raw.     Gravel,  and  water  to  wash. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male  of 
this  bird  has  the  head,  neck,  and  upper  part  of 
the  breast,  of  a  deep  velvet  black ;  the  inner  vanes 
of  the  large  wing  feathers,  the  lower  parts  of  the 
breast  and  belly,  are  pure  white.  The  tail,  of 
which  the  two  middle  feathers  are  much  the 
longest,  is  most  splendidly  colored  with  green, 
blue,  and  purple  reflections,  on  a  glossy  jet  black. 
The  only  difl'erence  with  the  female  is,  that  the 
colors  are  duller  and  fainter. 

LocatioxN.  —  Found  throughout  the  interior  of 
Louisiana,  Arkansas,  Missouri,  and  the  Rocky 
Mountains  —  Resident. 


114  bird-keeper's  manual. 


EUROPEAN  JAY. 

This  bird  is  inferior  in  the  brightness  and  va- 
riety of  its  colors  to  the  American  Blue  Jay.  Yet 
the  colors  of  its  plumage  are  chaste  aud  pleasing, 
and  the  variegated  beauty  spot  on  the  wing,  en- 
livening the  whole,  it  is  considered,  and  justly 
too,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  European  birds. 
It  has  the  same  lively  and  sprightly  habits ;  as 
ours  it  will  articulate  words,  is  familiar,  docile 
and  obedient,  will  imitate  the  notes  of  other  birds, 
and  it  is  said,  when  young,  it  may  be  taught  to 
whistle  a  tune. 

Food.  —  In  Europe  it  is  fed  on  bread  and  milk, 
and  it  is  said  requires  plenty  of  water  to  wash  to 
keep  it  clean ;  so  would  our  Blue  Jays,  if  kept 
on  the  same  food.  But  I  have  had  them,  as  clean 
and  beautiful  in  a  cage,  as  ever  they  were  in  the 
woods,  whether  they  wash  or  not,  and  so  would 
this  bird  too,  if  fed  on  the  same  yankee  fare, 
good  yellow  meal  and  milk,  plenty  of  gravel, 
water  to  wash,  and  a  bit  of  beef  two  or  three 
times  a  week. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes. — The  male  has 


CAROLINA    PARROT.  115 

the  upper  parts,  except  the  rump,  of  a  pale  brown- 
ish purple  red  ;  the  under  parts  of  the  same  color, 
but  much  paler ;  at  the  tail  it  becomes  white. 
The  feathers  on  the  forehead  are  streaked  with 
black,  and  can  be  erected  into  a  crest  at  pleasure ; 
a  line  of  black  on  each  side  of  the  head,  the 
rump  white,  and  part  of  the  wing  is  beautifully 
marked  with  small  bands  of  light  blue,  dark  blue, 
and  bluish  white,  all  blended  together,  which 
ornaments  the  bird  greatly.  The  female  only 
differs  in  having  the  back  of  the  neck,  and  part 
of  the  back  grayish,  instead  of  reddish  purple, 
and  all  the  colors  being  a  httle  fainter. 

Location. — Found  throughout  Europe — Resi- 
dent. 


CAROLINA  PARROT. 

«* 

Of  nearly  two  hundred  different  kinds  of 
Parrots,  described  by  naturalists,  this  is  the 
only  species  found  within  the  territory  of  the 
United  States.  It  is  much  prized  in  Europe, 
and  in  Paris  it  is  said  to  cost  more  than  any 
other;  and  while  there  are  many  brought  here 


116  bird-keeper's  manual. 

from  foreign  countrieSj  I  have  never  seen  a  Caro- 
lina Parrot  kept  in  a  cage.  This  seems  a  verifi- 
cation of  the  truth  of  the  old  adage :  A  prophet 
has  no  honor  in  his  own  country.  They  are 
great  favorites  on  the  Continent  of  Europe  for 
their  beauty  and  docihty :  and  that  enthusiastic 
and  indefatigable  ornithologist,  Wilson,  had  one, 
which  he  carried  in  his  pocket,  tied  in  a  hand- 
kerchief, for  more  than  a  thousand  miles,  in  his 
journey  through  the  wilderness  from  Nashville  to 
Natchez,  his  sole  companion  in  many  a  lonely 
and  weary  day's  travel.  He  intended  to  take 
his  favorite  to  Pennsylvania  to  finish  its  educa- 
tion, as  he  says,  but  it  unfortunately  perished  in 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  by  making  a  breach  in  its 
cage,  and  flying  overboard  while  he  was  asleep. 

Food.  — Wilson  fed  his,  in  the  woods,  on  cockle 
burs,  from  which  they  extract  the  seeds,  and 
beech  nuts,  but  in  a  domestic  state,  of  course 
they  may  be  fed  like  others. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes. — As  the  females 
of  this  tribe  of  birds  chatter  and  whistle  as  well 
as  the  males,  the  distinguishing  marks  are  not  of 
much  consequence ;  however,  we  will  give  them, 
if  there  are  any.     This  bird  is  about  thirteen 


EUROPEAN    SISKIN    FINCH.  117 

inches  in  length.  The  male  has  the  fore  part 
and  sides  of  the  head  of  a  bright  orange  red  ;  the 
back  part  of  the  head  and  neck  are  bright  yellow, 
the  rest  of  the  plumage  is  of  an  orange  green. 
The  male  and  female  are  very  much  alike ;  there 
is  rather  less  yellow  on  the  neck  of  the  female. 

Location. — Found    in    the    inland    Southern 
States — Resident. 


EUROPEAN  SISKIN  FINCH. 

This  little  bird  is  very  rare  in  Britain,  and  I 
had  never  seen  a  live  specimen.  But  since  this 
work  went  to  press  I  have  received  one  from 
Palermo.  It  is  a  neat  and  pretty  shaped  bird, 
and  is  closely  aUied  to  the  Goldfinch,  and  has  all 
its  habits  and  manners.  It  is  found  in  Germany, 
and  is  there  said  to  be  a  great  favorite  with  the 
stocking-weavers,  from  the  resemblance  its  note 
bears  to  the  noise  of  their  looms.=^  The  one  I 
have  in  my  possession  is  a  male,  and  sings,  and 
it  has  certainly  a  very  peculiar  note,  but  it  is  not 

*  Bechstein. 


118  bird-keeper's  manual. 

unpleasant.  They  will  imitate  the  notes  of  other 
birds  ;  and  the  male  Sisken  will  pair  freely  with 
the  female  Canary,  and  the  singing  of  the  produce 
is  very  much  admired  by  some.  They  are  also 
very  apt  to  learn  to  draw  their  seed  and  water, 
like  the  Goldfinch. 

Food.  —  Treatment  and  food  the  same  as  the 
Goldfinch. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male  has 
the  top  of  the  head,  and  under  the  beak,  black ; 
the  hind  part  of  the  head,  and  all  the  upper  parts 
of  the  body  yellowish  green  ;  on  the  back  streak- 
ed with  brown,  nearly  yellow  on  the  rump,  the 
lower  parts  a  greenish  yellow,  lighter  on  the  belly, 
which  is  streaked  with  brown.  There  are  two 
yellow  bands  across  the  wing,  divided  by  one  of 
black.  The  female  has  the  crown  and  chin 
brown,  and  the  other  parts  of  the  body  are  much 
duller  in  color. 

Location. — Sometimes  seen  in  winter  in  Bri- 
tain. Pound  in  several  parts  of  the  Continent  of 
Europe  —  Resident. 


ORIOLES.  119 


SOUTH  AMERICAN,  ASIATIC,  AND 
AFRICAN  BIRDS. 


ORIOLES. 

Of  this  very  numerous  genus  of  birds,  of  which 
the  Baltimore  is  a  species,  by  far  the  greater  part 
of  tiiem  belong  to  the  American  Continent.  They 
are  remarkable  for  their  dociUty  and  sagacity, 
and  the  great  ingenuity  they  display  in  construct- 
ing their  nests.  And  there  are  many  of  them 
domesticated  by  the  inhabitants  of  South  Ameri- 
ca, for  the  purpose  of  destroying  the  large  insects 
and  reptiles,  with  which  the  houses  in  those 
countries  are  infested. 


ICTERUS  ORIOLE,  OR  TROOPIAL. 

This  beautiful  species  is  of  a  very  lively  disposi- 
tion, and  possesses  in  an  eminent  degree  the  other 
qualifications  of  his  tribe.  There  is  one  of  these 
birds  which  has  been  kept  in  a  family  in  this 
city  for  six  years.     He  is  as  completely  domesti*- 


120  bird-keeper's  manual. 

cated  as  any  member  of  it.  He  will  visit  every 
apartment  in  the  house,  will  answer  to  his  name, 
and  come  when  he  is  called.  He  knows  the 
voice,  and  even  the  footsteps  of  the  inmates  of 
the  family.  He  will  play  or  fight  with  them, 
(which  he  seems  to  enjoy  very  much,)  and  loves 
to  be  fondled,  like  a  dog.  He  seems  to  think 
also,  that  he  has  a  right  to  protect  his  premises, 
and  drive  oflf  all  intruders.  On  leaving  his  cage 
one  day  he  went  up  stairs,  and  on  finding  an 
artisan  engaged  repairing  the  lock  of  a  room 
door,  he  commenced  an  attack  upon  him  with 
great  energy,  and  actually  succeeded  in  drawing 
blood,  before  the  man  recovered  from  his  sur- 
prise. He  will  sit  on  the  hand  of  his  mistress, 
and  accompany  her  anywhere.  When  I  saw 
him  last  his  appearance  indicated  that  he  was 
taken  good  care  of,  and  all  his  little  wants  sup- 
plied, for  he  was  in  good  health  and  beautiful 
plumage.  In  addition  to  his  other  attractions  he 
whistles  melodiously. 

Food.  —  They  may  be  fed  on  meal  and  milk, 
with  a  bit  of  meat  occasionally,  either  cooked  or 
raw.  Berries  in  summer,  and  black  currants  in 
winter,  and  water  to  wash  every  day.  They 
require  a  pretty  large  cage. 


ORIOLES.  121 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes. — This  bird  is 
larger  than  the  Crow  Black  Bird,  the  head, 
throat,  middle  of  the  back,  wings,  and  tail,  black, 
remainder  of  the  plumage  a  bright  orange  color. 
Across  the  wings  there  are  two  oblique  bars  of 
white ;  on  the  top  of  the  head,  and  below  the 
bill,  there  are  elongated  feathers,  which  the  bird 
can  raise  at  pleasure.  The  plumage  of  the  fe- 
male of  these  birds  is  duller  and  fainter  in  the 
colors. 

Location.  —  Found  in  different  parts  of  South 
America,  also,  on  the  Island  of  Jamaica  —  Resi- 
dent. 


CACIQUE    ORIOLE. 

This  species  is  about  the  size  of  a  Crow  Black- 
bird. The  color  of  the  plumage  is  glossy  black, 
on  the  shoulders  is  a  broad  strip  of  yellow ;  also 
the  rump  and  upper  part  of  the  tail,  excepting 
the  two  middle  feathers  of  the  tail,  which  are 
black. 


RED  RUMPED  ORIOLE. 

This  is  an  elegant  species,  although  there  is  not 

8 


122  bird-keeper's  manual. 

much  variety  in  the  colors.  It  is  rather  smaller 
in  size  than  the  former,  and  is  entirely  of  a  deep 
glossy  black,  excepting  the  rump  which  is  of  a 
vivid  crimson.  From  the  striking  contrast  of  the 
colors,  it  has  a  fine  appearance.  This  and  the 
preceding  species  are  sometimes  brought  here ; 
they  have  the  same  manners  and  habits,  and  the 
same  whistling  note. 

Food  and  treatment  the  same  as  the  Icteric. 
They  are  natives  of  South  America. 


BLACK-HEADED  ORIOLE. 

This  bird  is  about  the  size  of  the  blue  Jay.  The 
head  and  neck  is  black;  the  wings  are  striped 
with  black  and  yellow  ;  the  tail  reddish,  and  the 
remainder  of  the  plumage  is  of  a  bright  golden 
yellow.  This  is  an  Asiatic  species,  and  is  some- 
times brought  to  this  country. 

The  food  and  treatment  the  same  as  the  Icteric. 
Location.  —  Madras  —  Resident. 


CRESTED     DOMINICAN    GROSSBEAK.  123 


CRESTED   DOMINICAN  GROSSBEAK. 

This  is  an  elegant  bird,  and  a  very  agreeable 
songster;  and  when  in  full  plumage,  with  his 
fine  arched  crest,  and  the  glowing  crimson  of  his 
head  and  neck,  contrasted  with  the  chaste  color- 
ing of  the  remainder  of  his  plumage,  has  a  very 
fine  appearance.  They  are  docile,  and  easily 
domesticated,  and  sing  well  in  the  cage.  They 
are  often  brought  here,  and  are  named  the  South 
American  Cardinal,  to  distinguish  them  from  the 
Cardinal  Grossbeak. 

Food.  —  A  mixture  of  one-third  hemp,  and  two- 
thirds  Canary  seed.  They  are  very  fond  of  ripe 
berries,  which  may  be  given  them  in  summer, 
and  a  few  black  currants  in  winter;  occasionally 
a  bit  of  ripe  apple.     Gravel,  and  water  to  wash. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  This  bird  is 
about  the  size  of  the  Cardinal  Grossbeak.  The 
male  has  the  head  and  fore  part  of  the  neck  a 
bright  crimson  color,  on  the  head  a  long  and  full 
pointed  crest ;  the  back  and  wings  are  of  a  dark, 
ash  color,  the  lower  parts  white,  the  two  middle 
feathers  of  the  tail  are  a  dusky  red,  the  others  the 


124 

color  of  the  back.  The  female  is  duller  and 
fainter  in  all  the  colors,  and  the  back  is  speckled 
with  white. 

LocATtoN.  —  Found  in  different  parts  of  South 
America,  especially  in  Brasil  —  Resident. 


MINO  BIRD. 

This  remarkable  bird  is  about  the  size  of  our 
Crow  Blackbird,  and  resembles  it  also  in  plum- 
age. It  articulates  words  and  sentences  with 
wonderful  distinctness.  There  was  one  at  the 
Exchange  Coffee  House,  in  Boston,  last  sum- 
mer, who  uttered  the  following  sentences,  which 
no  doubt  it  had  learned  on  its  passage  to  this 
country : 

"Good  morning.  What  are  you  going  to  do,  Jerome  1 
How 's  the  wind,  Jerome  ?     Jerome,  what 's  the  clock?  " 

This  was  articulated  with  surprising  exactness, 
in  a  fin6  tenor  voice  ;  and  this  is  the  more  astonish- 
ing, as  the  tongue  of  this  bird  is  long  and  slen- 
der, and  not  fleshy  and  rounded  as  in  the  parrot 
tribe,  which  is  thought  favorable  to  their  articu- 
lation, from  its  resemblance  to  the  tongue  of  the 
human  species. 


MINO    BIRD.  125 

There  was  also  one  of  these  birds  in  New  York 
recently,  which  was  celebrated  for  uttering  sen- 
tences distinctly.  I  kept  one  myself  about  a  year 
ago,  for  a  short  time :  while  with  me  he  would 
whistle  and  imitate  other  sounds,  but  did  not  pro- 
nounce words ;  since  that  time,  I  understand  he 
has  got  the  gift  of  speech  also  like  the  others. 

Food.  —  These  birds  are  great  eaters ;  I  fed 
mine  on  meal  and  milk,  as  a  staple  dish.  If  I 
approached  the  cage  with  anything  in  my  hand 
that  he  could  eat,  (he  was  not  particular)  meat, 
cooked  or  raw,  bread  or  potatoes,  he  would  be 
down  at  the  cage  door  putting  his  head  through 
the  wires,  and  uttering  a  whining  cry  ;  and  would 
always  get  some  of  it  out  of  my  hand,  before  I  could 
open  his  cage  door,  or  put  it  into  the  cage.  They 
require  plenty  of  gravel,  and  water  to  wash  often. 
It  may  be  worthy  of  remark  here,  that  I  have 
always  found  those  birds,  which  eat  a  gdod  deal 
of  food,  all  fond  of  bathing,  and  wash  every  day 
at  least,  if  they  have  an  opportunity. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  This  bird  re- 
sembles the  Crow  Blackbird  in  size  and  plumage, 
and  is  remarkable  for  a  broad  band  of  yellow 
skin,  which  begins  on  the  side  of  the  head,  and 


126 

extends  to  the  nape  of  the  neck  on  both  sides, 
but  does  not  meet;  the  plumage  on  the  sides  of 
the  head  is  short,  and  resembles  black  velvet. 
There  is  little,  if  any,  difference  in  plumage  be- 
tween the  male  and  female. 

Location.  —  Found  on  the  Island  of  Java  and 
in  other  parts  of  Asia. 


JAVA  FINCH,  OR  SPARROW. 

This  pretty  little  bird,  although  it  does  not 
excel  as  a  songster,  cannot  be  surpassed  in  the 
beauty  of  its  plumage,  nor  the  chaste  delicacy  of 
its  colors.  The  close  compactness  of  its  feathers 
make  its  covering  appear  as  if  it  was  a  solid  sur- 
face, and  when  it  is  sitting  still  you  might  almost 
imagine  that  it  was  cut  out  of  a  fine,  close-grain- 
ed piece  of  wood,  and  then  highly  pohshed  and 
colored.  They  are  also  probably  the  neatest  and 
cleanest  bird  that  ever  was  in  a  cage.  I  have 
had  thirty  of  these  birds  in  a  bamboo  cage,  which 
I  kept  for  some  time.  During  the  time  I  had 
them  I  never  saw  them  wash,  (although  I  have 
seen  them  wash  since,  but  they  wash  but  sel- 


JAVA    FINCH,     OR     SPARROW.  13!! 

dom,)  and  I  never  saw  a  spot  on  one  of  them  5 
they  were  always  neat  and  clean.  They  are 
very  loving,  one  to  another,  and  always  sit  close 
together,  although  sometimes  they  would  have 
little  quarrels,  but  they  never  hurt  one  another 
much.  The  males  have  a  very  sweet,  low,  war- 
bling note. 

Food. — In  their  native  country  they  feed  upon 
rice;  and  when  they  are  brought  here  they  bring 
sometimes  the  unhulled  rice  with  them,  which  is 
called  paddy.  But  as  we  cannot  procure  it  at 
all  times,  when  I  get  them  I  always  put  them  on 
Canary  seed,  (the  Canary  alone,)  and  I  think  it 
is  much  better  for  them,  better  even  than  the  un-» 
hulled  rice,  when  it  gets  hard  and  dry.  I  knew 
of  one  that  was  kept  alone,  for  seven  years,  in  a 
cage,  upon  Canary  seed.  They  will  seldom  eat 
anything  else.  I  have  had  them  sometimes,  that 
would  pick  a  little  green  stuff,  but  not  often. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes. — The  bill  of 
this  bird  is  a  deep  carmine  color ;  the  head  and 
throat  are  jet  black,  with  the  exception  of  the  sides 
of  the  head,  which  are  pure  white ;  the  primaries 
or  main  feathers  of  the  wings  are  black,  as  is 
also  the  rump  and  tail;  the  rest  of  the  upper 


128  bird-keeper's  manual. 

parts,  and  breast,  are  of  a  fine  bluish  gray,  the 
belly  a  delicate  grayish  purple ;  close  to  the  tail 
white.  I  never  could  discover  any  difference  be- 
tween the  male  and  female,  except  in  size ;  the 
female  is  rather  smaller. 

Location.  —  Found  on  the  Island  of  Java,  and 
throughout  China  —  Resident. 


BROAD-SHAFTED   WHIDAH   FINCH. 

This  elegant  bird  is  remarkable  for  the  size  and 
beauty  of  the  tail,  the  middle  feathers  of  which, 
(although  the  body  of  the  bird  is  not  much  larger 
than  a  Canary,)  is  twelve  inches  long.  It  is  a 
splendid  bird  in  a  cage,  and  carries  its  extremely 
long  tail  gracefully,  and  manages  it  dexterously, 
in  hopping  from  perch  to  perch.  It  has  a  very 
sweet  and  soft  note,  and  keeps  itself  neat  and 
clean ;  nor  is  it  by  any  means  a  delicate  bird, 
although  from  the  torrid  zone,  but  stands  our 
climate  very  well,  and  is  easily  kept  in  a  cage. 
It  moults  twice  in  the  year,  when  a  change  takes 
place  in  its  phimage,  and  it  loses  the  long  feathers 
in  the  tail,  which  it  does  not  regain  for  six  months, 


BROAD-SHAFTED     WHIDAH    FINCH.  129 

it  having  those  feathers  only,  (in  its  own  coun- 
try,) in  the  breeding  season.  They  should  have 
a  very  large  cage,  and  the  perches  pretty  far 
apart. 

Food.  —  They  are  fed  the  same  as  the  Canary 
Finch. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  upper 
parts  of  the  male  of  this  bird  are  a  brownish 
black  ;  paler  on  the  wings.  On  the  upper  part  of 
the  neck  there  is  a  broad  collar  of  rich  orange 
yellow ;  the  under  parts  are  of  a  light  buff  color, 
at  the  tail  black.  After  losing  the  long  feathers 
the  plumage  becomes  streaked  with  black  and 
white,  about  the  head  and  neck,  and  below  with 
black  and  red.  The  female  is  of  a  brownish 
black,  all  over,  and  has  not  the  long  feathers  in 
the  tail.  The  length  of  the  long  feathers  in  the 
tail  of  the  male  is  twelve  inches. 

Location.  —  Found  in  Southern  and  Western 
Africa. 


130  bird-keeper's  manual. 

CRIMSON-COLLARED   WHIDAH. 

This  is  another  beautiful  species,  rather  larger 
than  the  former,  and  the  tail  is  differently  shaped. 
In  this  bird  the  middle  feather  is  the  shortest,  the 
tail  being  forked ;  round  the  upper  part  of  the 
breast  there  is  also  a  rich  band  of  orange  crimson. 
The  plumage  of  this  bird,  both  above  and  below, 
is  of  a  jet  glossy  black,  the  side-feathers  of  the 
tail  are  six  inches  long. 


RED-BILLED  WHIDAH. 

The  tail  of  this  species  differs  from  the  two  pre- 
ceding ;  it  is  square  like  another  bird's,  and  of  a 
moderate  length,  except  the  four  middle  feathers, 
which  are  long,  and  so  formed,  that  when  closed, 
they  have  the  appearance  of  one  single  feather. 
It  is  rather  smaller  in  size  than  the  first  men- 
tioned ;  the  upper  part  of  the  head  and  back  are 
a  deep  glossy  black ;  on  the  neck  a  white  stripe, 
and  towards  the  tail  is  white ;  there  is  also  a 
large  spot  of  the  same  color  on  the  wings,  the 
lower  parts  are  pure  white.  This  and  the  pre- 
ceding species  are  also  brought  from  Africa; 
they  live  upon  seeds,  and  are  fine  songsters. 


AMANDAVA,    OR   AVODAVINE  FINCH.  131 

AMANDAVA,   OR  AVODAVINE  FINCH. 

This  beautiful  little  bird,  although  a  native  of  the 
warm  counties  of  Asia,  bears  the  vicissitudes  of 
our  climate  remarkably  Avell;  although  small, 
they  are  hardy,  and  there  are  many  of  them  kept 
in  Boston,  and  other  parts  of  the  country.  They 
are  generally  brought  in  pairs,  but  will  live  alone 
in  a  cage.  Like  all  the  Asiatic  birds,  they  are 
very  loving,  and  will  sit  close  nestled  together 
on  the  perch,  whether  males  or  females,  picking 
round  one  another's  bills  hke  the  Java  Finches. 
The  male  is  a  deUghtful  little  songster,  and,  on 
hearing  it  for  the  first  time,  you  are  astonished 
that  such  a  diminutive  bird  could  sing  such  a  loud 
note.  In  cold  weather  they  should  be  kept  mod- 
erately warm,  but  I  have  kept  them  in  winter 
where  there  was  no  fire  after  sundown. 

Food.  —  They  are  generally  fed  on  millet  seed ; 
I  have  had  those  that  would  eat  Canary ;  they 
may  have  both ;  a  blade  of  lettuce  or  cabbage 
occasionally  ;    gravel,  and  water  to  wash. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male  has 
the  head  and  lower  parts  of  a  deep  fiery  red  ;  the 
upper   parts  brownish  gray,    tinged   with   red  ; 


132  bird-keeper's  manual. 

nearly  all  the  plumage  is  spotted  white,  largest 
on  the  wings.  The  female  is  smaller  in  size ; 
the  head  and  upper  parts  are  ashy  gray ;  the 
rump  tinged  with  red ;  the  shoulders  are  spotted 
with  white  ;  the  lower  parts  of  the  body  are  of  a 
pale  orange  color. 

Location.  —  Found  in  the  Tropical  countries 
of  Asia  —  Resident. 


SENEGAL  FINCH,  OR  SPICE  BIRD. 

This  pretty  little  songster  is  still  smaller  than 
the  Amandava,  and  its  note,  although  not  quite 
so  loud,  is  much  more  harmonious.  The  female 
also  sings,  and  if  there  are  a  pair  in  the  cage, 
they  will  sit  closely  nestled  together  and  .  sing 
alternately,  the  male  first,  and  then  the  female. 

Food.  —  Treatment  and  food  the  same  as  the 
Amandava  Finch. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male  has 
the  bill  red ;  sides  and  fore  part  of  the  head  and 
chin,  black;  the  top  of  the  head  reddish,  with 


DOVES.  133 

black  spots  ;  the  rest  of  the  plumage  is  of  a  light 
reddish  brown,  spotted  with  black  and  brown. 
The  female  has  the  upper  parts  of  a  light  brown; 
the  lower  parts,  reddish  gray. 

Location.  —  Found  in  various  parts  of  Asia  — 
Resident. 


DOVES. 


RING  DOVE. 

This  is  a  neat  and  pretty  bird,  mild  and  gentle 
in  its  disposition.  I  kept  a  pair  for  some  time, 
(a  good  many  years  ago)  but  never  could  succeed 
in  raising  more  than  one  bird  at  a  hatching,  the 
other  egg  either  proving  bad,  or  if  both  hatched, 
one  of  them  would  die,  it  appeared  to  me,  from 
their  carelessness  in  feeding,  and  I  have  heard  often 
since,  from  those  who  keep  them,  the  same  com- 
plaint. They  are  very  loving  birds,  the  male 
hardly  ever  leaving  the  female,  and  when  she  is 


134  bird-keeper's  manual. 

sitting  on  the  nest,  he  passes  the  night  close  by 
her  side.  When  the  male  coos,  he  does  not  turn 
round  like  others  of  his  tribe,  but  walks  up  to 
the  female,  lowers  his  head,  and  swells  out  his 
crop,  then  raising  his  head,  lowers  it  again,  and 
so  repeats  a  very  plaintive  note.  When  moving 
about,  they  have  a  more  lively  note,  which  re- 
sembles a  person  laughing  They  require  a  pretty 
large  cage,  and  two  boxes,  fastened  one  at  each 
end  about  six  or  eight  inches  fronl  the  bottom, 
containing  some  fine  soft  straw  for  their  nests. 
In  Europe  they  are  named  the  ''  Collared-Turtle 
Dove.'' 

Food.  —  They  will  eat  any  kind  of  grain ;  bar- 
ley, rice,  or  buckwheat  is  the  best;  they  will 
also  eat  bread.  They  require  plenty  of  gravel 
in  bottom  of  the  cage,  and  also  to  be  kept  in  a 
moderate  temperature  in  winter ;  not  too  warm, 
for  there  are  many,  even  tropical  birds,  who 
suffer  from  heat  in  our  warm  rooms  in  winter. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  male  of 
this  bird  has  the  upper  parts  of  a  reddish  white, 
the  lower  parts  pure  white;  there  is  a  black 
crescent  round  the  neck,  the  points  of  which 
come  forward.  The  female  is  much  whiter,  and 
the  ring  paler. 


TURTLE    DOVE.  139 

Location.  —  They  are  natives  of  the  East  In- « 
dies   and   China,    whence  they   are    brought  to 
America. 


TURTLE  DOVE. 

This  bird  is  also  brought  here  and  kept  in 
cages  Although  not  so  common  as  the  Ring- 
Dove,  it  is  more  prolific  in  a  domestic  state ;  and 
it  is  said  it  will  pair  with  the  Collared  Turtle, 
and  the  produce  prove  more  fruitful  than  the  last 
mentioned  bird  alone. ^  The  cooing  of  the  male 
of  this  bird  has  less  variety  than  the  Ring-Dove, 
being  a  prolonged  note,  but  his  gestures  before 
the  female  are  about  the  same.  We  have  a  spe- 
cies of  this  bird  in  the  United  States,  allied  to 
this,  the  Asiatic  species,  (the  Columba  Carolinen- 
sis,)  but  I  am  not  aware  of  any  of  them  having 
been  kept  in  cages. 

Food,  and  size  of  cage  the  same  as  the  Ring- 
Dove. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes. — The  male  of 
this  bird  has  the  forehead  white,  the  upper  parts 

*  Becbstein. 


136  bird-keeper's  manual. 

of  a  whitish  blue,  darker  towards  the  tail ;  there 
is  a  black  spot  on  each  side  of  the  neck,  with  a 
few  whitish  curved  lines  on  it.  This  has  a  fine 
effect,  and  is  named  the  beauty  spot,  the  lower 
parts  white.  The  female  is  grayish  on  the  back, 
the  beauty  spot  much  fainter,  lower  parts  grayish 
also. 

Location. — Found   in  Europe  and  Asia.     In 
Northern  Europe — Migratory. 


PARROTS. 


GRAY,  OR  AFRICAN  PARROT. 

This  bird,  although  not  so  gaudily  colored  as 
some  of  his  tribe,  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and 
valuable.  There  are  numbers  of  them,  imported 
both  to  this  country  and  Europe,  from  Africa, 
where  they  are  only  found.  They  can  be  taught 
to  whistle  a  tune  distinctly,  and  correctly ;  and 
they  articulate  words,  and  whole  sentences,  in  a 
fine,  full,  and  sonorous  bass  voice.  And  I  be- 
lieve they  are  the  only  species  of  those  birds 


GRAY,     OR    AFRICAN    PARROT.  137 

which  have  propagated  their  kind  in  a  domestic 
state.  They  are  docile  and  intelligent,  and  form 
strong  attachments  to  those  who  feed  them. 
When  young  they  are  easily  taught,  and  are 
possessed  of  good  memories,  never  forgetting 
what  they  have  once  learned.  A  few  years  ago 
I  had  one  in  my  possession  for  some  time.  I 
taught  him  to  whistle,  ^^  Over  the  water  to  Char- 
ley.'^ He  whistled  it  clearly  and  correctly,  and 
would  speak  some  sentences  very  distinctly. 
I  have  had  some  of  them  since,  which  have 
showed  the  same  facility  in  learning. 

Food.  —  The  common  staple  diet  for  Parrots  is 
bread  and  milk,  as  for  Thrushes ;  for  this  I  have 
substituted  for  them,  as  well  as  the  Thrushes, 
Indian  meal  and  milk,  and  find  it  much  better 
food  for  them.  I  had  one  of  this  species  last 
summer,  for  two  months,  which  I  fed  on  meal 
and  milk,  and,  two  or  three  times  a  week,  a  piece 
of  apple.  He  moulted  during  that  time,  and 
when  he  left  me  he  was  in  beautiful  plumage,  and 
good  health  ;  and  I  have  in  my  possession  now,  a 
Green  Parrot,  which  has  no  other  food  but  a  little 
mug  of  meal  and  milk,  every  morning.  He  is 
also  moulting  freely,  and  is  in  as  good  health  as 
ever  I  saw  a  bird  in  that  state.  This  season  is 
9 


138  bird-keeper's  manual. 

the  most  hazardous  time  for  those  birds,  and  I 
do  not  recollect  of  ever  preserving  a  favorite 
Parrot,  which  had  not  died  moulting.  The  Afri- 
can Parrot  is  very  fond  of  meat,  both  raw  and 
cooked ;  but  it  brings  on  disease,  and  had  better 
not  be  given. 

Characteristics  of  the  Sexes.  —  The  general 
color  of  this  bird  is  a  bluish  silvery  gray,  the 
feathers  on  the  upper  parts  edged  with  brownish 
gray.  The  tail  a  deep  vermilion.  There  is  no 
distinguishable  difference  between  the  male  and 
female. 

Location.  —  Found  on  the  Coast,  and  Interior 
of  Africa  —  Resident. 


BRAZILIAN  GREEN  PARROT. 

This  is  a  very  beautiful  species;  it  is  often 
brought  here,  and  is  about  the  size  of  the  African. 
It  is  docile  and  tractable,  and  may  be  taught  to 
articulate  words  and  sentences  very  distinctly. 

The  front  and  round  the  bill  of  this  bird  is 
bright  red,  the  sides  of  the  head  are  a  fine  deep 


WHTTE-FRONTED    PARROT.  139 

blue,  the  crown  a  bright  yellow,  the  shoulders, 
pretty  far  down  on  the  wings,  are  red,  the  wing 
feathers  are  edged  with  yellow,  the  main,  or 
longest,  a  deep  blue.  The  tail  feathers  are  finely 
marked  with  deep  blue,  yellow,  and  red. 

Food.  —  Meal  and  milk,  a  bit  of  apple,  a  few 
cracked  nuts,  occasionally,  of  which  they  are 
very  fond. 

Location.  —  Found  in  the  different  parts  of 
South  America,  especially  in  Brazil — Resident. 


WHITE-FRONTED  PARROT. 

This  is  another  very  elegant  species,  which  is 
sometimss  brought  here.  They  are  larger  in 
size  than  the  former,  and  are  very  gentle,  and 
familiar  in  their  manners,  and  easily  taught  to 
speak,  and  whistle  snatches  of  tunes. 

Food.  —  Treatment  and  food  the  same  as  the 
Brazilian. 

Location.  —  Found  in  different  parts  of  South 
America —  Resident. 


140  bird-keeper's  manual. 

Of  this  very  numerous  tribe,  or  genus,  of  birds, 
nearly  all  of  which  inhabit  the  warmer  regions  of 
the  Old  and  New  World,  there  are  the  Maccaws, 
the  Cockatoos,  the  Lorys,  and  the  Parrakeets. 
There  are  some  of  them  which  may  be  taught  to 
speak  and  to  whistle,  and  are  docile  and  of  gen- 
tle manners,  and  some  of  them  are  truly  splendid 
in  their  plumage.  Yet  by  far  the  greater  part  of 
them  are  so  extremely  vociferous  and  noisy,  that 
they  are  much  more  at  home  in  the  menagerie 
than  in  the  parlor. 


INSTRUCTIONS 

FOR  THE 

BREEDING    OF    CANARY    BIRDS, 

AND    THE 

PROPER   TREATMENT  OF  THE  YOUNG. 


LOCATION  FOR  BREEDING. 

If  you  intend  to  breed  your  birds  flying  at 
large  in  a  room,  and  have  a  choice,  choose  one, 
the  windows  of  which  look  to  the  south-east ;  if 
in  cages,  place  them  in  the  same  situation,  for  the 
same  purpose,  to  have  the  benefit  of  the  morning 
sun,  which  is  very  beneficial,  especially  to  the 
young  birds.  If  you  breed  in  a  room,  you  must 
have  one  or  two  windows  latticed  with  wire,  so 
put  on  that  you  can  raise  the  window  to  admit 
the  air  when  it  is  mild,  and  shut  it  down  when 
cold.  It  is  better  not  to  have  the  open  windows 
opposite  one  to  the  other,  as  this  makes  a  draft 
through  the  room,  which  I  have  fouud,  by  ejcpe-* 


143  bird-keeper's  manual. 

rience,  to  be  injurious  to  the  young  birds,  espe- 
cially when  moulting.  If  you  use  cages,  hang 
them  on  the  wall  opposite  the  windows,  where 
they  will  have  the  early  sunshine  longest ;  this 
is  much  better  than  hanging  them  on  the  roof  or 
near  the  window. 

PAIRING. 

If  the  weather  is  mild  you  may  put  your  birds 
together  about  the  first  of  March.  Those  that 
are  intended  to  be  bred  in  a  room  had  better  be 
put  in  a  cage  for  ten  or  twelve  days  to  pair ;  they 
may  pair  before  that  time.  Those  who  are  not 
familiar  with  birds,  may  know  that  they  are 
paired  by  seeing  them  feed  each  other.  They 
may  then  be  turned  into  the  room,  where  there 
are  nesting  places  provided  for  them.  You  need 
not  be  alarmed  if  they  should  fight  a  Httle,  as 
those  fighting  birds  generally  breed  the  best.  I 
have  seen  a  female  keep  the  male  down  in  the 
bottom  of  the  cage  for  a  couple  of  days,  and  not 
allow  him  to  get  on  a  perch.  She  would  sit  on 
the  top  perch,  stooping  down,  with  her  wings  half 
stretched  like  a  hawk,  and  if  he  should  dare  to 
come  any  nearer  to  her,  by  even  getting  on  the 
lower  perch,  she  would  pounce  on  him  like  a 
Falcon  on  its  prey,  and  knock  him  down  to  his 


TREATMENT    OF    CANARY    BIRDS.  143 

former  position  at  the  bottom  of  the  cage.  At 
last  he  will  get  desperate,  pluck  up  courage, 
and  succeed  in  placing  her  in  the  situation  that 
he  was  formerly,  but  he  will  be  more  merciful 
than  she  was,  for  he  will  not  keep  her  there  long; 
they  will  then  soon  make  up  matters  and  raise  a 
large  family. 

Birds-,  intended  to  be  paired  in  the  spring, 
should  not  be  kept  together  in  the  winter,  as  the 
male  will  not  sing  so  well,  and  they  will  not 
breed  so  readily  when  the  breeding  season  comes. 
When  your  birds  begin  to  moult,  their  breeding, 
for  the  season,  is  over  ;  they  should  then  be  sepa- 
rated and  well  fed,  and  your  attention  directed  to 
the  young. 

In  pairing  birds  that  are  of  different  colors, 
there  are  some  rules  to  be  observed,  that  you 
may  have  those  colors  pure  and  bright  in  your 
young  birds.  In  pairing  the  male  primitive  green 
Canary  (dark  green  above  and  yellow  below) 
with  a  pure  white  or  bright  yellov/  female,  there 
may  be  some  of  the  brood  like  the  male,  and 
some  like  the  female,  or  part  mottled  like  both ; 
the  young  will  be  strong  and  healthy,  and  the 
males  good  singers,  as  the  dark  green  birds  are 
generally  excellent  songsters;  the  colors,  also,  will 
be  pure  and  bright.     Many  years  ago  I  bred  a 


144  bird-keeper's  manual. 

pair  of  dark  green  Canaries ;  in  the  first  brood 
there  were  two  yellow  birds;  this  rather  sur- 
prised me  until  I  thought  of  the  cause :  one  of 
the  old  birds,  or  perhaps  both,  had  been  produced 
by  yellow  and  green  Canaries.  If  you  wish  to 
have  pure  yellow  birds,  pair  a  bright  yellow 
male  with  the  whitest  hen  you  can  procure ;  if 
mottled  or  splashed  birds,  pair  a  bright- yellow 
male  with  a  bright  mottled  female,  or  a  mottled 
male  with  a  pure  white  female.=^  The  blending 
of  the  colors  of  these  birds  has  arrived  to  such  a 
height  of  late,  and  the  bird-fanciers  of  Europe 
have  got  them  by  mixing,  so  striped,  streaked, 
spotted,  and  speckled,  that  it  must  be  very  difii- 
cult  for  one  poor  little  Canary  bird  to  know  an- 
other. But  not  only  in  color  have  they  trans- 
mogrified them,  (for  as  the  Flat-head  Indians  are 
said  to  flatten  the  heads  of  their  ofi'spring,)  so  we 
might  almost  suppose  that  they  stretched  out  the 
young  of  the  Canary  bird,  for  they  have  got  some 
of  them  almost  as  long  as  two  common  birds. 
For  some  of  those  birds  high  prices  are  given, 
but  it  is  mere  fancy ;    the  breed  is  not  superior 

*  Do  not  pair  two  mottled  or  splashed  birds,  as  the  colors  will  be 
faint  or  mealy;  or  two  Yellow  Birds,  except  they  be  very  large 
and  pure,  as  they  will  degenerate  in  size  and  color ;  nor  two  crested 
lurdSy  as  the  crests  of  some  will  be  imperfect. 


TREATMENT    OF   CANARY   BIRDS.  145 

except,  in  the  opinion  of  some,  to  the  eye.  The 
long  birds  are  tender  and  delicate,  and  will  not 
bear  the  vicissitudes  of  our  climate  like  the 
others.  And  for  song,  I  have  had,  and  may  have 
now,  a  stout,  original  green  Canary,  or  a  good, 
strong  Yellow  Bird  that  has  been  bred  here,  that 
you  might  hang  in  an  attic  all  winter  without 
fire,  which  will  sing  as  sweet  a  note  as  any 
long  bird  I  have  ever  heard  in  New  York  or 
Boston.  Never  pair  birds  of  the  same  family  to- 
gether ;  if  you  wish  to  breed  any  of  your  young 
birds,  exchange  with  some  of  your  neighbors,  or 
purchase  mates  for  them.  This  close  breeding 
degenerates  the  birds,  and  finally  they  become 
good  for  nothing. 


BREEDING  CAGES,  NESTS,  &e. 

I  HAVE  bred  Canaries  in  rooms  and  in  cages, 
and  I  prefer  the  latter  method,  not  only  because 
I  have  been  more  successful  in  this  way,  but  I 
think  there  is  more  pleasure  and  gratification  in 
breeding  in  cages.  You  can  go  close  up  to  the 
cage  and  look  at  them  when  feeding  their  young, 
without  startling  them,  or  take  down  the  nests  and 
see  if  all  is  right,  and  attend-to  their  little  wants, 


146  bird-keeper's  manual. 

without  frightening  other  hens  off  their  nests,  and 
have  them  all  flying  around  you ;  and  there  is 
no  fear  of  confusion  amongst  them,  or  of  their 
quarrelling  together,  in  a  room,  as  I  have  seen 
them ;   for  birds  will  get  irritated  sometimes  as 
well  as  men,  and  fight  too.     Two  or  three  years 
ago  I  had  about  fifteen   females,   all  sitting  on 
eggs  together  in  nests  in  a  room.     For  a  few  days 
they  all  sat  well,  and  I  had  every  prospect  of 
having  a  large  family  of  young  Canaries,  when 
one  lady  bird  began  to  get  restless,  and  come  off 
her  nest  oftener  than  was  necessary  to  eat ;  then 
she  began  to  visit  her  neighbors,  and  at  last  got, 
like  some  other  lady  birds,  to  be  a  complete  gad- 
der abroad,  and  we  almost  gave  up  all  hopes  of 
her  ever  raising  her  family,  and  thought  some  of 
removing  her  out  of  the  community.     One  day,  in 
my  absence,  (as  there  are  degrees  in  crime,)  she 
had  commenced  pilfering  from  some  of  her  steady 
neighbors;  they   had   resented,   of  course;    then 
came   the   tug  of  war,    and  Greek  met  Greek. 
The  males  had  interfered  to  make  peace,  as  was 
their  bounden   duty;  the  other  lady  birds,  seeing 
their  lords  in  danger,  had  come  to  the  rescue,  and 
there  was  nothing  but  riot  and  confusion,  in  this 
hitherto  peaceful  community.     And  when  1  ar- 
rived I  found  the  floor  strewed  with  broken  eggs 


TREATMENT     OF     CANARY    BIRDS.  147 

and  fragments  of  nests ;  and  where  I  had  antici- 
pated a  fine  harvest  of  young  Canary  birds,  all 
was  ruin  and  desolation.  I  immediately  removed 
the  delinquent,  and  two  or  three  of  the  most 
furious  of  the  combatants;  but  the  mischief  was 
done;  this  naughty  female  had  imbued  them  all 
with  her  wicked  spirit,  and  they  fought  and 
quarrelled,  and  quarrelled  and  fought,  forsook 
their  nests,  or  fought  over  them,  until  they  broke 
the  eggs  in  them ;  and  from  the  whole  I  do  not 
believe  I  had  ten  young  birds. 

A  cage,  to  breed  a  pair  of  birds  comforta- 
bly, should  not  be  less  than  eighteen  inches 
long.  To  each  corner,  opposite  the  door,  pretty 
near  the  top,  put  a  ring  of  common  cage  wire ; 
take  two  of  those  little  baskets  which  are 
imported  from  Germany  every  season,  and  after 
putting  in  a  little  tow  or  oakum,  (the  last  is  a 
good  preventive  against  those  little  red  mites) 
to  fill  them  up,  as  they  are  rhade  rather 
deep,  line  them  inside  with  a  piece  of  new 
woollen  flannel,  (which  is  better  than  the  cot- 
ton,) sew  it  well  through  the  basket  with  linen 
thread,  and  make  it  smooth  inside ;  it  will  then 
be  something  like  a  teacup;  then  fit  the  rings  in 
the  cage  to  the  nests,  and  make  them  fast  by 
turning  the  ends  over  and  driving  them  into  the  rail 
of  the  cage.     Let  the  nests  go  pretty  well  down, 


14^  bird-keeper's  manual. 

so  as  not  to  tilt  when  the  bird  hops  on  them ;  and 
it  is  well  to  put  a  Uttle  edge  on  the  top  of  them, 
so  as  they  will  not  go  down  through.  Make 
them  fit  easy,  so  that  you  can  take  them  out  and 
look  at  the  eggs,  or  young.  If  you  live  in  the 
country  you  may  make  the  baskets  yourself,  of 
twigs,  or  splints  of  wood,  as  I  have  often  done ; 
then  take  some  cotton  wicking,  and  cut  it  in 
short  pieces,  and  a  few  feathers.  When  the  bird 
layed,  if  those  materials  were  not  put  in  snugly, 
I  always  take  them  out,  as  they  are  apt  to  catch 
their  feet  and  pull  the  eggs  out  of  the  nest;  then 
the  eggs  lay  on  the  flannel,  which  is  quite  suflSi- 
cient.  Put  in  both  your  nests  when  you  put  in 
your  birds,  and  let  the  female  make  her  choice. 
This  is  necessary,  for,  when  the  young  are  about 
ten  days  old,  she  will  leave  the  care  of  them  to 
the  male,  who  will  rear  them,  and  lay  again,  in 
the  other  nest.  When  the  young  leave  a  nest, 
take  it  out  and  put  in  a  new  one,  or  take  all  the 
lining  of  it,  bake  it  in  the  oven,  or  throw  it  into 
boihng  water,  and  then  line  it  anew.  These 
precautions  are  necessary,  to  destroy  any  of  those 
mites  which  may  have  got  about  the  nest,  or  pre- 
vent their  breeding.  This  simple  method  of  pre- 
paring the  nests,  I  have  found  the  best  for  the 
comfort  and  convenience  of  the  birds ;  and  I  have 


TREATMENT     OF    CANARY    BIRDS.  149 

been  very  successful  in  breeding  them.  It  may 
be  sufficient  to  say,  that  from  a  pair  of  birds  I 
had  twenty-one  young  ones,  in  one  season,  all 
alive  and  well.  If  you  wish  your  birds  to  build 
their  own  nests,  in  place  of  the  baskets,  put  up 
boxes  four  inches  square,  and  three  inches  deep, 
made  of  thin  wood;=^  then  furnish  your  birds 
with  some  fine,  dry  grass ;  such  as  grows  about 
the  roots  of  bushes  and  fences  is  good,  and  some 
cotton  wick  cut  in  short  pieces  ;  also,  some  deer, 
or  cow's  hair ;  the  hair  should  be  washed  clean, 
then  put  into  a  warm  oven,  or  dried  before  the 
fire.  Strew  those  materials  over  the  bottom  of 
the  cage,  or  put  them  separately,  in  pieces  of  net, 
and  hang  them  in  the  corners  of  the  cage,  and 
they  will  pull  them  out  as  they  want  them.  It 
is  better  not  to  put  but  one  box  in  at  first,  as  they 
may  amuse  themselves  by  carrying  the  materials 
from  one  to  another,  and  thereby  lose  time.  Be- 
fore you  put  in  the  box,  take  some  of  the  grass, 
and  fashion  the  frame  of  a  nest,  as  neat  as  you 
can,  (this  will  save  time,  and  the  labor  of  the 
birds,)  and  they  will  finish  it  to  suit  themselves, 

*  Camphor  wood,  or  red  cedar,  is  the  best,  if  it  can  be  procured, 
(as  the  mites  will  not  breed  in  it,)  if  not,  common  cedar  ;  nail  them 
close  together,  in  the  joints,  and  give  them  a  good  coat  of  copal  var- 
nish, and  hang  them  in  the  sun  to  dry. 


150  bird-keeper's   manual. 

or  rather  she  will,  for  the  female  is  the  master- 
builder,  the  male  only  an  assistant,  or  laborer, 
bringing  her  the  materials.  I  have  seen  a  female 
pounce  upon  the  poor  male,  and  give  him  an  un- 
merciful thrashing,  when  he  had  merely  hopped 
in,  to  try  how  it  would  suit  him,  while  she  was 
engaged  building  it,  and  had  probably  gone  to 
eat.  If  you  wish  the  birds  to  do  the  whole  of  the 
building  of  the  nest,  put  in  the  box  empty,  and 
they  will  carry  in  all  the  grass,  or  hay,  with  the 
other  material,  themselves. 


HATCHING,  AND  TREATMENT  OF  THE  YOUNG. 

On  putting  your  birds  in  the  cage,  to  pair,  give 
one-third  of  a  hard-boiled  egg  to  a  pair,  every 
morning,  yolk,  white,  and  shell;  add  to  their 
portion  of  heliip  and  Canary  seed,  some  rape,  and 
put  in  the  cage,  or  stick  in  the  wires,  a  piece  of 
old  lime  plaster,  from  a  ceiling,  or  wall.=^  When 
the  female  commences  laying,  she  will  lay  an 
egg  every  morning  until  her  complement  is  laid. 

*  Some  use  cuttle  fish  bone  ;  it  is  the  lime  contained  in  the  bone 
that  is  useful,  therefore  the  old  plaster  is  superior. 


TREATMENT     OF     CANARY     BIRDS.  151 

The  number  is  generally  five,  sometimes  six,  or 
four,  and  some  young  hens  will  set  upon  three. 
Some  females  will  not  set  until  they  have  done 
laying;  others  will  commence  setting  on  laying 
the  first  egg,  and  it  has  been  said  by  some,  that,  in 
this  case,  the  egg  should  be  taken  out,  and  a  false 
one  put  in  its  place,  until  the  complement  is  laid, 
and  then  the  whole  put  back  into  the  nest  again. 
This  is  taking  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  without 
any  necessity  for  it,  and  the  risk  of  breaking  the 
eggs  into  the  bargain ;  for  if  the  young  are 
hatched,  one  every  morning,  the  one  is  nourished 
and  fed  before  the  next  comes,  and  so  on  ;  and  in 
the  other  case,  where  all  are  hatched  together, 
the  male  assists  in  nourishing  and  feeding  them, 
and  all  is  well.  There  is  very  often  one  bad  egg 
in  the  nest;  when  the  youngest  is  two  days  old, 
take  the  box,  or  basket,  which  contains  the  nest,^ 
in  your  left  hand,  introduce  the  little  finger  of 
the  right  gently  under  the  young,  and  get  out  the 
bad  egg.  as  it  takes  up  room  in  the  nest,  and  if  it 
should  get  broke  is  very  unpleasant.  When  I 
had  six  young  at  a  hatching,  which  I  have  some- 
times  had,  1   prepared  a  large  nest,  and  when 

*  Both  boxes  and  baskets  should  be  so  fixed,  that  they  can  be 
taken  down  for  this  purpose ;  and  occasionally  to  see  how  the  young 
thrive. 


Wi  bird-keeper's  manual. 

they  were  five  or  six  days  old  removed  them 
gently  into  it,  as  the  common  sized  nests,  when 
they  grow  older,  would  prove  too  small  for  them. 
When  the  young  are  hatched  increase  the  egg 
to  one  half,  or  more ;  the  whole  of  it  as  before. 
Some  give  only  the  yolk,  this  is  wrong;  when 
very  young  the  yolk  is  too  heating  and  rich  for 
them.  Add  to  this  a  slice  of  good  baker's  bread, 
moistened  with  pure  water;  the  parents  will 
then  feed  with  the  three  together.^  Be  careful 
that  the  bread  is  not  sour.  If  there  are  four  or 
five  young,  they  may  require  fresh  egg  and  bread 
in  the  afternoon,  as  they  grow  older.  Give  them 
fresh  bread  and  egg  every  morning,  as  soon  after 
sunrise  as  is  convenient ;  and,  if  the  weather  is 
warm,  about  noon,  remove  what  may  be  in  the 
saucer ;  rinse  it  with  water,  and  give  them  fresh 
egg  and  bread.  The  male  takes  an  active  part 
in  the  feeding  of  the  young  whenever  they  are 
hatched,  but  the  female  alone  sits  on  them ;  and 
when  they  get  large,  and  begin  to  feather,  she 
will  sit  by  them,  or  on  the  side  of  the  nest  at 
night.  When  they  are  about  ten  days  old,  (as 
before  mentioned,)  she  will  leave  the  care  alto- 

*  I  have  seen  a  parent  bird  take  a  pick  of  the  yolk,  of  the  white, 
and  of  the  bread,  to  feed  a  bird  not  many  hours  old. 


TREATMENT     OF     CANARY    BIRDS.  153 

gether  to  the  male,  and  lay  again  in  the  other 
nest.  The  male  will  feed  them  regularly,  and 
also  his  mate,  whenever  she  calls  him,  which 
she  will  whenever  she  does  not  feel  disposed  to 
leave  her  nest.  He  will  attend  to  his  duty  dili- 
gently, and  the  young  are  sometimes  safer,  under 
the  charge  of  the  male  than  the  female,  especially 
if  she  is  a  young  mother.  I  have  often  gazed 
with  pleasure  on  the  male,  after  having  a  fine 
brood  of  young  left  under  his  charge.  He  would 
first  hop  gently  on  the  nest,  and  survey  them  all 
over,  with  delight  sparkling  in  his  eyes ;  and 
when,  on  his  uttering  a  low  note,  they  would 
raise  their  heads  and  open  their  mouths,  over- 
joyed he  would  quickly  obey  the  call,  fly  down  to 
the  bottom  of  the  cage,  take  two  or  three  mouth- 
fuls,  then  fly  up  and  put  it  into  one  of  two  of 
their  little  throats,  then  down  again,  and  when 
they  were  all  satisfied,  and  he  would  take  care 
that  there  were  none  unfed,  he  would  hop  on 
his  roost,  and  pour  forth  strains  of  melody,  which 
seemed  to  me  to  say:  ^'Now  I  have  done  my 
duty  I  am  happy  ;  I  will  now  sing  my  best  song." 
When  the  young  begin  to  eat  alone,  and  pick 
about  the  bottom  of  the  cage,  take  an  equal  part 
of  hemp  and  rape  seed,  and  bruise  it  in  a  mortar, 
or  on  a  table  with  a  rolling-pin  ;  put  it  in  a  sau- 
10 


154  bird-keeper's   manual. 

cer,  or  other  shoal  vessel,  then  into  the  cage. 
Whenever  you  think  they  can  eat  well  enough  to 
be  alone,  remove  them  out  of  the  breeding-cage, 
as  they  annoy  the  mother  when  sitting,  by  crowd- 
ing around  the  nest ;  and  she  does  not  scruple, 
sometimes,  to  rob  them  of  a  few  of  their  feathers, 
to  keep  her  eggs  warm. 

When  you  remove  your  young  put  them  into 
a  pretty  large  cage,  where  they  can  have  plenty 
of  room  to  fly ;  they  will  feather  better,  and  be 
clean.  Remove  them  in  the  morning;  and  if 
they  should  keep  chirping  all  day,  and  not  eat, 
in  the  afternoon  take  the  male  out  of  the  breed- 
ing cage,  and  put  him  in  beside  them,  and  he 
will  feed  them  all.  Keep  him  there  until  near 
night ;  then  put  him  back  to  his  mate  again,  and 
they  will  eat  the  next  day  without  any  trouble. 
Put  in  the  rape  and  hemp  seed,  bruised,  as  for- 
merly ;  this  J  have  found  very  beneficial  for 
young  birds.  Put  in,  also,  Canary  seed,  and  egg 
and  brqad,  as  formerly;  withdraw  all  the  soft 
food  gradually,  but  as  soon  as  you  can,  as  they 
will  thrive  better,  and  be  much  more  healthy  and 
vigorous,  when  you  get  them  to  live  on  their 
seed  alone. 


TREATMENT     OF     CANARY    BIRDS.  155 


MOULTING  OF  THE  YOUNG. 

Although  the  moulting  of  young  birds  is  only- 
partial,  as  they  do  not  in  general  shed  their  wing 
or  tail  feathers,  they  require  more  care  and  atten- 
tion than  at  their  future  moultings.  It  generally 
takes  place  when  they  are  about  two  months  old, 
sometimes  when  younger,  or  older.  At  this  time 
they  sleep  sometimes  during  the  day,  with  their 
head  under  their  wing.  They  now  require  nour- 
ishing food,  and  to  be  kept  moderately  warm.  If 
the  weather  is  warm  open  the  window,  and  let 
them  have  air ;  but  do  not  put  the  cage  where 
there  is  a  draft  of  air ;  the  same  if  in  a  room,  do 
not  have  opposite  windows  open,  and  be  careful 
to  shut  them,  when  the  cool  of  the  evening  ap- 
proaches. Let  them  also  have  the  benefit  of  the 
sunshine,  morning  and  evening.  If  too  warm  in 
the  middle  of  the  day,  drop  the  curtain  of  the 
window,  or  throw  something  over  the  cage. 
With  the  seed,  as  before,  give,  two  or  three  times 
a  week,  a  bit  of  baker's  bread,  moistened  with 
milk,  and,  once  or  twice  a  week,  a  portion  of 
hard-boiled  egg,  chopped  fine ;  and,  occasionally, 
some  lettuce,  or  cabbage,  and  keep  a  piece  of 
rusty  iron  in  the  water  dish.    By  using  those 


l5§  bird-keeper's  manual. 

precautions,  and  administering  to  their  little 
wants,  you  will  soon  have  your  feathered  friends 
in  good  health  and  beautiful  plumage;  and  they 
will  amply  repay  you  for  your  care  and  attention, 
by  their  enlivening  and  cheerful  songs  during  the 
ensuing  winter. 


MOULTING   OF  THE   OLD  BIRDS. 

The  old  birds  generally  moult  about  the  begin- 
ning of  autumn.  They  require  also  nourishing 
food  at  this  period.  Give  them  freely  of  rape- 
seed,  a  bit  of  bread  dipped  in  milk,  and  occa- 
sionally a  bit  of  hard-boiled  egg,  and  lettuce  or 
cabbage.  Sometimes  it  happens,  that  from  some 
cause,  this  operation  of  nature  is  retarded  or  stop- 
ped, and  the  bird  does  not  shed  his  old  feathers,  or 
does  it  very  slowly,  in  this  case  I  have  found  it 
ejficacious  to  put  a  few  cloves  in  the  water,  and 
give  them  plenty  of  green  stuff.  If  the  weather 
is  cold  when  they  moult,  do  not  expose  them  to 
it ;  but  if  mild  and  warm,  I  have  found  it  bene- 
ficial to  an  old  bird,  when  moulting,  to  be  kept 
outside  of  a  window  or  door ;  at  least,  let  them 
have  plenty  of  free  air,  and  keep  a  rusty  nail  in 


TREATMENT   OF    CANARY   BIRDS.  157 

water.  In  moulting,  the  proper  treatment  of  the 
old  birds  is  about  the  same  as  the  young,  only 
they  do  not  require  so  much  care  and  attention, 
as  the  most  hazardous  time  with  Canaries  is  their 
first  moulting. 


DISEASES, 


TO   WHICH 


CANARIES,  AND  OTHER   BIRDS    ARE  LIABLE, 


DOMESTIC     STATE. 


Inflammation  of  the  Bowels.  —  Young  Cana- 
ries, when  fed  upon  egg  and  bread,  and  such  nu- 
tricious  food,  get  sick,  and  their  appearance  indi- 
cates an  attack  of  this  disorder.  The  skin  of  the 
belly  is  distended,  and  the  feathers  come  off,  and 
leave  the  skin  bare,  and  the  veins  under  it  are 
blue  and  surcharged  with  blood,  and  on  dissec- 
tion, the  bowels  are  found  inflamed,  and  black 
towards  the  vent.  On  the  first  appearance  of  this 
disorder  withdraw  the  rich  food,  and  give  your 
birds  a  little  lettuce  seed  and  Canary  alone,  plenty 
of  green  stufl",  and  put  a  rusty  nail  in  the  water. 
But  in  prescribing  for  the  diseases  of  birds,  and 


DISEASES    OF    CANARY   AND    OTHER   BIRDS.       159 

Other  animals  too,  the  old  adage  holds  good,  that 
"An  ounce  of  preventive  is  worth  a  pound  of 
cure;''  and  to  avoid  this  and  other  disorders,  I 
endeavor  to  get  my  young  Canaries  from  their 
soft  and  luscious  food  as  soon  as  possible  to  their 
plain  seed,  on  which  they  are  much  healthier. 

Constipation,  or  Costiveness.  —  The  good  old 
singing  Canaries,  and  other  birds  who  live  upon 
seeds,  are  often  troubled  with  this  ailment ;  it  may 
be  discovered  by  the  bird  jerking  down  his  body 
when  he  voids,  or  tries  to,  and  raising  his  tail.  A 
bit  of  bread  dipped  in  milk  and  a  blade  of  cabbage 
will  cure  it.  It  is  well  to  stick  a  bit  of  bread, 
moistened  with  milk,  in  the  cages  of  your  seed^ 
birds  occasionally,  it  will  prove  beneiicial  to  them. 

Epilepsy.  —  This  disease  some  birds  are  sub- 
ject to ;  bleeding  is  prescribed  by  some,  by  cut- 
ting one  or  two  of  the  nails  of  the  claws  until 
they  bleed.  I  prefer  cold  baths.  Many  years 
ago  I  had  a  pair  of  Cardinal  Grossbeaks  both  in 
one  cage;  one  day  the  female  had  one  of  these 
fits  ;  when  I  discovered  her  I  found  her  lying  on 
her  back,  at  the  bottom  of  the  cage,  pulling  her 
feathers  out,  and  she  had  succeeded  in  stripping 
her  lower  parts  completely  bare  of  feathers;  I 
immediately  took  her  out  and  plunged  her  into 
the  water-pail,  and  after  allowing  her  time  to 


160  bird-keeper's  manual. 

breathe  I  put  her  in  again.  Being  determined  to 
test  the  virtue  of  this  mode  of  proceeding,  I  put 
her  into  the  water  a  third  time,  and  then  put  her 
back  into  the  cage.  I  kept  her,  I  think,  nearly 
three  months  after  this,  her  feathers  soon  came 
on  again,  and  she  sung  sweetly,=^  and  never  had 
another  fit,  at  least  when  with  me. 

Asthma. — If  you  have  a  bird  attacked  with 
this  disorder,  which  you  will  know  by  its  making 
a  croaking  or  wheezing  noise  when  it  breathes, 
take  a  piece  of  baker's  bread,  soak  it  in  water, 
then  squeeze  the  water  out  of  it,  and  boil  it  well 
in  milk.  Give  them  freely  of  this  every  day,  with 
plenty  of  cabbage  or  lettuce,  and  if  your  bird  is 
not  a  very  old  one  it  will  soon  recover. 

DiARRHCEA.  —  Put  a  piccc  of  rusty  iron  in  your 
water-dish,  (and  do  not  change  the  water  oftener 
than  twice  a  week.)  and  bread  boiled  in  milk,  as 
for  the  asthma;  boil  it  well  in  this  case,  so  as 
when  it  is  cold  it  will  cut  like  cheese ;  give  them 
freely  of  it,  and  plenty  of  vegetables.  For  young 
Canaries  and  other  seed  birds,  mix  with  the  paste 
some  scalded  rape  seed ;  this  mode  of  treatment 
for  this  disease  is  generally  successful. 

Diseases  of  the  Feet.  —  Thrushes,  and  other 

*  The  female  of  this  species  sings.  v 


DISEASES    OF    CANARY   AND   OTHER    BIRDS.       161 

birdsj  are  sometimes  troubled  with  this ;  it  is  often 
occasioned  by  the  feet  and  legs  getting  dry  and 
hard,  and  the  scales  contracted,  and  the  shedding 
of  them  being  protracted,  causes  much  pain  to  the 
bird,  and  often  lameness.  Wash  the  feet  and 
shanks  of  the  bird,  once  or  twice  a  day,  with 
some  warm  milk  and  water,  and  rub  them  with  a 
little  lard ;  when  they  get  soft,  remove  the  scales 
gently,  this  treatment  will  soon  effect  a  cure. 

By  getting  it  caught  in  the  wires,  or  from  some 
other  cause,  a  bird  will  sometimes  unfortunately 
break  its  leg.  In  this  case  take  the  perches  out 
of  the  cage,  and  spread  a  piece  of  flannel  smoothly 
on  the  bottom.  If  you  have  glasses  in  your  cage, 
take  them  out,  and  stop  up  the  holes,  then  put  the 
food  into  vi^ry  shallow  vessels  so  as  the  bird  can 
eat  and  drink  without  getting  up,  or  rising  on  its 
legs.  Nature  will  now  do  the  rest,  the  bone  will 
soon  knit,  and  the  bird  get  well.  By  this  mode 
of  treatment  I  have  in  general  been  successful  in 
effecting  a  complete  cure. 

The  claws  of  a  bird  that  has  been  kept  in  a 
cage  for  some  time  will  grow  long,  so  as  to  annoy 
the  bird  in  leaping  from  perch  to  perch  in  catching 
round  them,  and  might  be  the  cause  of  the  bird's 
injuring  itself  as  before  mentioned.  In  this  case, 
take  the  bird  in  your  left  hand,  and  holding  its 


162  bird-keeper's  manual. 

leg  between  your  fingers,  cut  the  nails  off  the 
claws  with  a  pair  of  sharp  scissors  ;  you  need  not 
cut  too  far  up,  to  touch  the  quick,  as  it  hurts  the 
bird,  (but  it  will  not  injure  it)  ;  if  you  should  the 
first,  cut  less  off  the  others. 

Moulting.  —  Though  not,  properly  speaking,  a 
disease,  yet  during  this  operation  of  nature,  all 
birds  are  more  or  less  sick,  and  some  suffer  se- 
verely. And  it  is  rather  remarkable,  that  this  is 
the  case  even  among  birds  of  the  same  species, 
some  getting  through  the  operation  much  easier 
than  others.  If  we  look  at  birds  in  a  state  of  na- 
ture, we  will  find  that  at  the  time  of  moulting  they 
have  their  food  in  the  greatest  abundance  scat- 
tered around  them  in  profusion,  when  they  are 
least  capable  of  making  exertions  to  procure  it. 
The  mode  of  treatment  of  birds,  in  a  domestic 
state,  is  here  clearly  pointed  out.  They  require 
plenty  of  nourishing  food,  as  near  natural  as  we 
can  possibly  procure  it.  Worms,  insects,  and 
fruit,  to  those  birds  who  eat  them,  and  to  those 
who  hve  upon  dry  seeds,  bread  dipped  in  milk, 
fruit  and  vegetables;  to  supply  the  waste  of 
moisture  and  strength,  occasioned  by  the  growth 
of  an  entire  new  covering  for  their  bodies. 

Loss  OF  Voice.  —  Sometimes  it  will  happen 
that  a  bird,  after  moulting,  does  not  sing.     This, 


MITES.  163 

I  think,  proceeds  rather  from  the  notes  escaping 
the  memory,  than  any  physical  defect  in  the 
bird.  By  hanging  a  bird  that  has  been  brought 
to  me  in  this  state  near  a  good  singer,  and  feed- 
ing him  well  two  or  three  days,  he  has  soon 
found  his  voice  again. 


MITES. 

These  troublesome  little  insects  first  infest  the 
cages,  and  then  prey  upon  the  poor  birds.  Under 
the  ornaments  on  the  heads  of  the  posts,  and  un- 
der the  perches,  and  about  the  head  of  the  cage, 
are  the  places  they  are  generally  found.  They 
are  not  so  fond  of  the  lower  parts  of  the  cage. 
I  am  happy  to  make  public  a  destroyer  of  those 
tormentors  of  my  feathered  favorites,  which  I 
have  used  with  complete  success,  and  without 
the  least  injury  to  the  birds.  Take  about  half 
an  ounce  of  corrosive  sublimate,  and  dissolve  it 
in  a  pint  of  spirits  of  wine,  or  high  proof  alcohol, 
and  apply  it  with  a  hair-pencil ;  it  kills  the  in- 
sects immediately,  and  then  penetrates  into  the 
wood,  leaving  nothing  that  the  bird  can  pick ; 
and  wherever  you  touch  with  it  there  will  be  no 


164 

insect,  at  least  that  season.  This  sohition  should 
be  marked  and  carefully  put  away,  as  it  is  rank 
poison. 


INSTRUCTIONS  FOR  THE  REARING  OF  AMERI- 
CAN BIRDS  FROM  THE  NEST. 

A  difference  of  opinion  exists  as  to  the  proper 
time  to  take  the  nests  of  young  birds.  Some  say, 
when  they  begin  to  feather;  others,  when  the 
tail  feathers  begin  to  grow.  When  I  reared  them 
I  always  thought  it  best  to  let  them  have  as  much 
of  the  parents'  care  as  possible ;  and  I  always 
let  them  get  pretty  well  feathered,  before  I  took 
them ;  and  1  let  them  stop  until  within  two  or 
three  days  of  leaving  the  nest.  If  they  are  in- 
clined to  hop  out  when  you  get  them  home,  this 
is  easily  prevented  by  throwing  a  light  covering 
over  them,  until  they  get  strong  enough  to  stand 
on  their  legs.  Young  birds  should  be  fed  at 
least  every  two  hours,  some  oftener ;  and  small, 
delicate  birds,  should  have,  at  first,  a  little  every 
hour.  They  should  be  fed  as  soon  after  sunrise 
as  possible,  and  not  after  sundown.  If  it  is  im- 
possible, owing  to  the  nature  of  your  avocation, 


REARING  OF  AMERICAN  BIRDS  FROM  THE  NEST.       165 

to  attend  to  them  so  often,  keep  them  in  a  dark 
place,  as  they  will  not  be  so  impatient  for  their 
food  as  when  kept  in  the  light. 

Feed  Thrushes  and  other  large  birds,  that  eat 
worms  and  insects,  on  meal  and  milk,  mixed 
with  a  bit  of  lean  beef,  minced  fine,  or  meal 
worms,  or  maggots,  or  small  earth  worms,  if 
clean,  (but,  as  they  are  in  general  full  of  earth,) 
I  prefer  the  beef.  For  Finches,  and  other  small 
birds,  take  a  piece  of  stale,  wheat  bread,  soak  it  in 
water,  then  squeeze  the  water  out ;  put  it  in  a  pan, 
with  some  new  milk,  and  boil  it  well  until  it  is 
about  the  thickness  of  paste,  and  mix  with  it 
some  hemp,  or  rape  seed,  or  millet,  bruised  in  a 
mortar,  or  on  a  table  with  a  rolUng-pin.  And 
for  other  small  birds,  which  eat  insects,  mix  with 
it,  some  meal  worms,  or  maggots,  chopped  fine, 
or  ant's  eggs,  which  my  young  friends  in  the 
country  will  know  where  to  find.  And  if  they 
will  observe  what  the  old  birds  are  fond  of,  and 
especially  what  they  feed  their  young  with,  and 
procure  some  for  theirs,  they  will  be  the  more 
successful  in  rearing  their  birds. 


166  bird-keeper's  manual. 


WHAT  THOSE  WHO  KEEP  BIRDS  OUGHT  NOT 
TO  DO. 

Do  not  keep  a  bird  in  a  room  that  is  painting, 
or  has  been  newly  painted,  until  the  effluvia  of 
the  paint  is  completely  gone. 

Do  not  hang  your  bird  over  a  stove,  or  above 
the  mantel-piece,  or  over  a  grate  which  contains 
fire. 

Do  not  put  a  bird  and  cage  in  a  window,  and 
then  shut  it  down  upon  it ;  there  is  a  draft  then 
through  the  cage  that  may  be  injurious  to  the 
bird. 

Do  not  wash  your  cage  bottom,  but  scrape  it 
clean  with  a  knife,  and  then  put  on  some  fresh 
gravel ;  the  moisture  tends  to  breed  those  little 
red  mites,  and  is  injurious  to  the  bird. 

Do  not  keep  birds  together  all  winter,  which 
you  intend  to  breed  in  the  spring.  They  will  not 
do  so  well  as  if  they  were  apart. 

Do  not  keep  single  birds  in  a  room  where 
others  are  breeding.  And  do  not  keep  males 
and  females,  in  breeding  season,  in  a  room  in 
separate  cages ;  or  you  may  lose  your  birds  by 
what  is  called  the  pairing  fever. 


THE    END. 


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Mann,   J. 

American  bird- 
keeper's  manual. 


SF461 
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